


Wolf

by A_to_B_and_C



Series: EXOVERSE [7]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Bottom Baekhyun, Chanyeol is a bratty rich son of a big mafia guy, Descriptive Smut, M/M, Mafia AU, mention to murder, metion of boarding school, not regarding main characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:01:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_to_B_and_C/pseuds/A_to_B_and_C
Summary: Chanyeol is the son of a Mafia boss and all his life was always under his control and as smooth as he wanted.And when his father decided to put him under survellance for the nth time, Chanyeol couldn't stand it anymore and was more than decided to cut his new guard off once and forever.However, the new guard wasn't exactly as the previous ones...
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Series: EXOVERSE [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658077
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> Another part of the EXOVERSE, as all the others, this time from a newer (yet old) album.  
> Still unbetaed, only checked for typos and mistakes (hopefully not much!)  
> Hope you will enjoy it! <3

It was a winter night when Chanyeol returning home, found his father waiting for him together with another man.  
Chanyeol should have suspected troubles when he spotted the black limousine outside his house.  
It was his father’s and usually it didn’t bring any good news.  
Chanyeol was the only son of Park Family, which was a not-exactly-legal family of entrepreneurs.  
His father wouldn’t define them as part of some mafia gang, but surely that was the nearer concept to what was actually his family.  
The man sitting with his father was slender, his skin fair and his hair dark.  
He was wearing all black, both suit and shirt.  
Chanyeol didn’t have any time to enquire about him any further because his father sat up from where he was sitting, nearing him.  
“I thought I was clear when I told you not to go outside until I found a new bodyguard for you” he said and Chanyeol huffed.  
He couldn’t stand his father’s attitude.  
He thought that because he was the head of a big family, he could control everyone’s lives including his son’s.  
But Chanyeol was giving him a hard time since forever, but especially after his mother’s death.  
“Sure, and I should stay here without leaving? I would get mad in no time” he replied immediately, and his father shook his head.  
“When you will realize that in being a Park, your life can always be in danger? Especially in those club you go every Friday and Saturday night!” he insisted but Chanyeol sighed.  
He was tired, he drank a bit more than usual and he just wanted to go sleep as soon as possible.  
“You know I don’t give a shit about these things. I’m not you and…” he started but the man sitting on the armchair rose up, nearing the old man.  
“Mr. Park, your life is not only yours” he reminded him and Chanyeol raised an eyebrow ready to reply but his father interrupted him.  
How dare him speak up to Chanyeol like he knew him and his situation?  
“He’s right, Chanyeol. You should be more considerate about someone kidnapping you for getting something from me” he explained before adding “and he’s your new guard”.  
The man gestured him with his head, without smiling nor moving his hand toward Chanyeol.  
“My code name is Beta” he said shortly and Chanyeol clicked his tongue.  
He didn’t like the man at all.  
“Why Beta? It’s a stupid code name” he replied but Beta simply nodded.  
“Sure. Still this is it. If you need anything, call” he objected and Chanyeol huffed.  
That man had an attitude that Chanyeol never found pleasant, neither on pretty face like him.  
“Why of all the men you could chose, you brought me this?” he asked toward his father who sighed deeply.  
“Because Beta is one of my best men. Because he never failed anything I gave him to do and because recently you are impossible and all the other that I assigned to your protection, quit it after several months. So please, behave and don’t make Beta run away too” he explained but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I don’t like him” he commented but his father’s stare hardened.  
“You didn’t like neither the ones that came before him. But at least I know that I can trust Beta with you” he concluded, patting his son on the shoulder.  
“I know that it’s not easy to be Park’s son, but please could you please stop behaving so unruly and finally put your head straight?” he asked but Chanyeol laughed.  
“You know I won’t do it anytime soon” he replied immediately, shaking his head, and his father sighed again.  
“At least try not to cause too many problems. I have to go now” he concluded and after greeting Beta too, he exited the door where his driver was already waiting for him.  
“I don’t like you” he stated toward Beta who smirked briefly.  
“The feeling is the same, so just behave and we won’t kill each other for the months to come” he replied and Chanyeol snorted.  
Beta surely was like all the other guards that his father sent him.  
All words, no action.  
“Sure, cause you will actually try and kill me” he started saying but even before he could finish the sentence, Beta pulled out a gun and pointed toward him.  
“Don’t get me wrong, boy, but we’re not joking here. It’s a work and the boss pay me for this. So, you don’t have any other choice if not behave. Because let me tell you that usually I’m not assigned at the protection squad and I accepted only because the boss asked me oh so kindly” he explained before putting away the gun in the holster beneath the jacket.  
Chanyeol watched him, scared.  
It was the first time someone pointed a gun at him directly and so closely.  
“You’re crazy. I will report you to my father” he muttered and Beta nodded shortly.  
“Sure, please do. The faster we can both be out of this, the best it is” he added and Chanyeol shook his head.  
This kind of behavior was unacceptable.  
A person like him shouldn’t be allowed to be in a protection squad.  
Especially not Chanyeol’s.  
There was a small silence and Chanyeol went to the kitchen.  
He drank another beer trying to convince his father that Beta wasn’t so great as guard since he menaced him with a gun, but his father remained on Beta’s side and Chanyeol couldn’t take it anymore.  
There would surely be something that could piss off the guy.  
He had just to found it out and behaving like that.  
  
  
Unfortunately for Chanyeol the mission seemed to be harder than he prevented.  
Beta was unfazed by everything Chanyeol did.  
Going out until late night with his friends? Beta was there.  
Remaining at home throwing a huge party? Beta was there.  
Staying at home watching TV? Beta was there.  
Never complaining, never asking, never speaking.  
He forced replies only if prompted, otherwise he stayed silent.  
He never interfered if not for dangerous situations.  
He was there, but never there.  
Chanyeol swore that the man appeared out of nowhere, sometimes.  
And that made Chanyeol feel even worse about his guard.  
That night he was sitting on the couch with his long time friend Sehun.  
Oh Sehun was friend with Chanyeol from college and he worked at his parents’ hospital.  
Tall if not as Chanyeol, he was blonde with chestnut eyes.  
He was also Chanyeol’s partner in crime for their outings on Fridays and Saturdays.  
“I really can’t stand him” he said to Sehun who shook his head.  
“Actually, I found him pretty interesting. I mean, he seems to have our age and, I don’t know, aren’t you curious about who he is or why he does this work?” he asked him and Chanyeol raised an eyebrow perplexed.  
He never thought about that, but Beta seemed to have their same age, indeed, even if he was more mature and seemed to not have any hobby or passion outside stalking Chanyeol around.  
Chanyeol called him and Beta appeared from the kitchen.  
“Need something?” he asked, voice flat and putting away his phone, pulling out the earpieces from his ears and dropping them on the shirt.  
“Sit with us” he almost ordered, and Beta raised an eyebrow, sitting on the armchair in front of them.  
“Sehun wants to ask you some things” he started saying, neutrally, like testing his reactions and Beta’s stare moved from Chanyeol to Sehun, nodding.  
“Sure, if it’s nothing personal” he stated flatly and Sehun smiled softly.  
“Actually just a few things…?” he interjected, a bit afraid of Beta’s possible reaction, but he nodded again.  
“Ask. If I don’t want to reply, I’ll simply tell you” Beta agreed, making Sehun smile again.  
“Which is your real name?” he asked directly and Beta snorted.  
“Way too personal. But I’ll tell you that my colleagues call me B or Baek” he replied and Sehun nodded shortly.  
“This is fine too. Did you choose the Beta code name yourself?” he continued asking and Beta shook his head.  
“Mr. Park gave it to you?” Sehun asked again, making Beta nod briefly.  
“And you don’t have like paid leave or something like that?” he enquired interested making Beta laugh.  
The laugh was crystal and somehow cute and made something move inside Chanyeol.  
How could someone this detestable have a laughter so cute?  
“No, unfortunately no. I only have some days at the end of some mission, if new ones don’t come too fast” he concluded, small smile appearing on his lips.  
Chanyeol couldn’t tear his eyes away from Beta’s smiling face.  
It was something that must be forbidden because made Chanyeol’s heart flutter strangely.  
“You could come with us! We are going to the mountain in few weeks. Mr. Park has a mansion over there and…” Sehun started saying and Beta snorted.  
“It’s not like I have choices. My task right now is protecting Mr. Park junior, here” he added making Chanyeol huff.  
“You could always resign” he commented, voice flat and heads already shaking, and Beta wanted to add something too, but his phone rang.  
He checked the ID and excused himself from the conversation.  
Sehun looked at him leaving and then at Chanyeol.  
“He seemed right to me. Why do you hate him so much?” he asked shortly and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“He’s my father’s dog as all the other before him” he commented but Sehun shook his head.  
“You can be also his friend, since you two spend so much time together” he noted but Chanyeol rejected the idea like it was something blasphemous.  
“He will go away eventually” he added but Sehun caressed his shoulder with a hand.  
“Is it still because of your mother?” Sehun asked him and Chanyeol sighed.  
Since his mother’s death, Chanyeol took family affairs like something completely different from his own life.  
He didn’t want his father to stick his nose around his life and forcing other people on him.  
Especially not when he continuously sent him annoying person like this Beta.  
Sehun wanted to comment any further but Beta returned in the room.  
His stare was perplexed and when he made his phone disappear in his trousers, he rose his stare on Chanyeol, sighing.  
“A colleague will come here, standing in for me for few hours. Can you not make a mess?” he asked him and Chanyeol arched his eyebrow.  
“Why someone is standing in for you? Where are you going?” he enquired, annoyed more than worried, and Beta shook his head.  
“Nothing that could interest boss’ son” he concluded and in that exact moment the bell rang.  
He went to check at the door and he came back with a short man, way shorter than him, but fitter and toned.  
“Hyung, thank you for coming in with so less prenotice” he stated but the other shook his head, smiling.  
“Baek, I couldn’t refuse a request from you” he replied patting his shoulder and Beta smiled fondly.  
“I always owe you a lot” Beta added before watching toward Chanyeol.  
“This is Xiumin. He will take care of you for a few hours” he explained and Xiumin immediately commented “While Baek will go and do what only him can do”, making Beta frowning deeply.  
Chanyeol raised his eyebrow, interested.  
What did that mean?  
“Please, don’t. It’s not like I…” he started but Sehun immediately asked what it was.  
“Mr. Park didn’t tell you? He’s one of the best eraser in our team” he supplied promptly and Beta sighed shortly.  
Chanyeol knew what an eraser was.  
And he didn’t pictured Beta as one of them.  
He listened that word too many times in those years.  
Erasers were substantially killers.  
“Hyung, could you please keep your mouth shut until I return? Because you are here only for two minutes and already spat out too many things” he noted making Xiumin laugh.  
“Sure, sure, sorry” he excused making Beta sigh again.  
“I’ll be back as soon as possible” he concluded, shooting another glance to Chanyeol before exiting the house.  
Chanyeol remained with Sehun and Xiumin and was more than decided to enquire further in Beta’s past.  
Because if there was something that could be useful to make him go away, Chanyeol would do it without thinking about it any further.  
“How long did you know Beta?” he asked and Xiumin hummed in thought.  
“Around ten years?” he asked pondering and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Maybe a bit more? He was a kid when Mr. Park took him in. He’s the only one that call Mr. Park as boss, making Mr. Park laugh. He considered him as his own father, I suppose” he added, making Chanyeol flinch at the idea.  
So his father somehow adopted and took in Beta?  
Why Chanyeol didn’t have any memory of this?  
“Why should he…?” he started but Xiumin smiled bitterly.  
“Baek hasn’t a family and Mr. Park taught him a lot of things. So, I think it’s for this reason?” he suggested and Sehun nodded shortly.  
“It wouldn’t be strange, after all” he commented, humming in thought.  
“And he accepted this task only because Mr. Park directly asked him, not having anyone else to put on this” he added making Chanyeol huffing in response.  
“He can quit it anytime he wants” he replied but Xiumin shook his head.  
“Actually, he can’t, and he won’t. Whatever you will do to him, he won’t quit. Because he promised Mr. Park to do his best to protect you” Xiumin explained again making Sehun whistle in appreciation.  
“It sounds like something important” he commented and Xiumin smiled softly.  
“Baek owes his life to Mr. Park. He would do anything for him” he concluded and Chanyeol frowned.  
He didn’t like that story at all.  
Not the relationship between his father and Beta and neither the fact that Beta was so stubborn and taking his job too seriously.  
Chanyeol wanted him away.  
He sat up and shook his head.  
“I can’t take any more of this corny thing” he spat out putting on his coat.  
“Where are you going?” Sehun asked him and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Out. After all, my father will always find me” he concluded exiting the house, followed swiftly by Sehun.  
They went outside in the cold winter night and decided to go drink in a pub not so far.  
“It was a while since it was only me and you” Sehun stated and Chanyeol nodded.  
“Can’t you feel this freedom?” he asked jokingly and they both went on drinking for almost all the night long.  
They were going home, more tipsy than drunk, laughing at stupid mentions about Sehun’s work when they noticed that outside the pub there were two men in suits waiting for them.  
“Come with us, Park Chanyeol” they intimated and when Chanyeol shook his head, one of the pulled out a gun.  
Both Chanyeol and Sehun stopped, almost not breathing.  
For the first time ever, Chanyeol feared for his life and for Sehun’s.  
He always complained about his father putting guards after him, but this kind of situation never happened to him before.  
Where was Xiumin?  
And why Beta wasn’t back yet?  
He closed his eyes, waiting for something to happen.  
He wasn’t prepared for facing this situation.  
In an instant, he heard a shot and then another.  
The two men in front of him were laying on the ground, pushing their hands on their legs.  
“I went away for four hours. Four. Fucking. Hours” Beta said nearing them and still pointing his gun to the men laying on the ground.  
His usually perfectly styled hair was a bit messy.  
“What the fuck are you doing here?” one of the men asked him and Beta just shot him again killing him.  
Some blood spurts arrived on his face and he cleaned it away, disgusted.  
“Come on, stand up” he told the other man who obeyed immediately.  
“The boss will be really glad to speak with you” he added whistling toward an imprecise direction behind him.  
From there a man in suit arrived and took custody of the man, leaving Chanyeol and Sehun with Beta.  
“Would you care to explain me what in the world happened?” he asked to Chanyeol and he wanted to reply but nothing came from his lips, making him replay the last moments in his minds.  
Sehun seemed shocked too.  
Beta sighed shortly.  
“I’ll bring you home” he whispered, walking to his car and making both of them sitting on the backseats.  
“Mr. Oh, do you want me to bring you home or you want to stay with Mr. Park?” he asked shortly and Sehun opted for going home.  
Sehun clearly knew about Chanyeol’s family affairs, but it was the first time also for him to find himself in a situation like that.  
Beta accompany him home and then drove silently until Chanyeol’s.  
Once inside, Beta sighed again.  
“I hope this will be a good reason not to leave my side ever again” he stated and Chanyeol’s stare was immediately on him.  
“You killed a man and call it a good reason?” he asked perplexed, making Beta shaking his head shortly.  
He seemed to be tired and maybe a little bit sick too.  
“If you would have done what I told you to, I shouldn’t have, but yes. That was a consequence of you not listening to what boss keeps telling you” he replied, sustaining Chanyeol’s stare.  
“I can’t believe that my father actually brought someone like you in our family” he commented and Beta flinched briefly but masking it immediately with a frown.  
“Don’t test my patience, Mr. Park. Tonight was a long night for both of us” he added, thinking that maybe the discourse was over, but Chanyeol continued.  
“How many you killed tonight? Without even considering if it was right or wrong?” he asked him and in a fraction of second he could tell that he mistook the situation, crossing the limit of Beta’s patience.  
Beta pressed a hand on his shoulders, making him seat on the couch.  
There was strength in that gesture, even though Beta didn’t hurt him.  
“I think you are not listening again, Mr. Park. Whatever thing boss will order me, I’ll do it. One, five, twenty, hundreds? It’s not a problem for me. Now, will you stop asking things you don’t want to know and go to bed?” he asked him staring directly in his eyes and Chanyeol only managed to nod, shortly, petrified by the heaviness of Beta’s words and actions.  
“Good boy” he concluded moving from his position and sitting on the armchair in silence.  
Chanyeol sat up and made his move to leave before stopping near the corridor.  
“Aren’t you going to bed too?” he asked Beta who raised his stare on him, perplexed.  
“You said that it was a long night for you too. Aren’t you sleeping?” he asked him again and Beta shook his head.  
“You don’t need to worry about me. I sleep only when I can” he replied making Chanyeol frown.  
“What do you mean?” he asked again, interested but Beta smiled bitterly.  
“Not now” he simply replied and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“See you tomorrow” he concluded and Beta nodded shortly.  
“Good night, Mr. Park” he said shortly and Chanyeol flinched at the surname.  
Park like his father.  
Like the man Beta kept so much in consideration and almost adored.  
Wouldn’t it be strange to ask Beta to call him by name?  
He just went to his bedroom, dropping on the bed, tired.  
Whatever happened that night, he knew that he couldn’t send Beta away.  
So, he had to accept his presence, somehow, for good or bad.  
  
  
The next morning, Chanyeol woke up at the sound of voices speaking in his living room.  
There were his father speaking with Beta.  
“Beta, thank you for tonight. Minseok told me about what happened” he was saying.  
“Sure, boss. It’s just my task” Beta replied shortly before adding immediately something.  
“And I’m sorry about what happened. I would have told hyung to control Mr. Park better” he said, sighing, and his father laughed soundly.  
“No worries, Beta. You’re great at that work, so no need to excuse yourself. How was Chanyeol?” he asked him shortly and Beta sighed shortly.  
“Shocked. That’s why I’m sorry. You always tried to keep him away from all of this and I shot a man in front of him?” he whispered but the man sighed too.  
“You don’t have to worry. You just need to do your work and that’s it” he continued but Beta sighed again.  
“He’s still as soft as he was when he was a child. And I’m afraid I can’t protect him forever” he added and Chanyeol frowned.  
He wasn’t soft!  
And beside that, does Beta meant that they knew even they were younger?  
Why Chanyeol didn’t remember about him?  
“I was worried when you asked me to let you take this job, but it seems it was a good idea after all” his father added and Chanyeol was newly perplexed.  
So it was Beta that asked his father the job, not the contrary.  
There was something missing in all that story.  
Chanyeol sighed before finally entering the living room and greeting his father.  
“Chanyeol, how are you? He was telling me about yesterday” he started sitting up from where he was.  
“Fine, thanks. And thanks to him” he replied, gesturing toward Beta with his head.  
“You still shouldn’t have exited last night. Especially if you had a friend with you. What if Beta didn’t arrive in time?” he asked him and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I knew he would have arrived” he lied making Beta snorted shortly.  
“Sure, Mr. Park” Beta commented and Chanyeol’s father shook his head.  
“He’s with you for more than few months and he still call you Mr. Park? Aren’t you exaggerating? He has your same age” he commented, and Beta immediately went silent.  
“Boss, there’s no problem for me…” he started saying but Chanyeol took the suggestion immediately, nodding shortly.  
“Chanyeol is fine too” he stopped, and Beta’s eyes went wider.  
“There’s no need…” he tried again but Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders.  
“After yesterday, I think it is the least I can do” he concluded, and Beta was clearly perplexed.  
“Thank you, Chanyeol” he whispered, showing him a soft little smile.  
Chanyeol’s father exchanged few other greetings and words before going away.  
What left Chanyeol surprised was that, before going away, his father caressed Beta’s cheek.  
He never did it before and never did it with Chanyeol himself.  
Beta seemed perplexed too, touching his cheek, eyes wide in surprise.  
There was a small silence and then Chanyeol smiled shortly.  
Whatever it was, Chanyeol wanted to know more.  
More about Beta and why he didn’t remember about them being raised together.  
Or at least, sharing a bit of past.  
And also about Beta’s relationship with his father.  
There was something that didn’t fit in.  
“I was planning to go out with Sehun. Do you want to tag along?” he asked and Beta raised his eyebrow in thought.  
He stared at him considering his options.  
“You know that I’ll come with you even if…” he started saying but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I know. I just want you to come informally, not because you have to” he added making Beta stare at him, this time perplexity tinting his stare.  
“Informally is not possible, but I appreciate the gesture” he replied fixing his earpiece back inside his ear.  
“May I at least not call you Beta?” Chanyeol asked him suddenly and he flinched briefly.  
Chanyeol got the idea that Beta didn’t appreciate particularly all that interest toward him coming from Chanyeol.  
“Baek is fine, if you want” he replied but Chanyeol shook his head, briefly.  
“Will I ever know your full name?” he enquired again, earning himself a scornful stare.  
“Aren’t you taking too much familiarity? We will never be on the same level, Chanyeol” he replied softly and when Chanyeol asked him what he meant, Beta sighed deeply, fixing his necktie.  
“You are my boss’ son. I am nothing more than your guard. I can play along with going out with you and your friends, but I’ll always be only your guard. Don’t forget it” he stated and Chanyeol could swear that his stare seemed sad in that exact moment.  
Even if he couldn’t understand why.  
“Obviously. It was just informing you that I was going out instead of forcing you to follow me around” he added immediately and Beta forced a smile.  
“Perfect. I’ll drive you around then” he concluded, holding the entry door opened for him to exit.  
  
  
It started like that the peculiar relationship between them.  
They were like friends, but they weren’t.  
They shared more interests than Chanyeol could ever imagine, but Beta never explicitly tell him.  
It was always Chanyeol’s turn to ask, to propone and to guess if he was fine or not with something.  
Chanyeol found it fun, because Beta was like a puzzle.  
Difficult to understand and gave him a lot of satisfaction every time he got something right.  
Chanyeol realized that he wanted to know more about Beta not because he wanted him to go away, but because he was genuinely interested in him and wanted to know him better.  
And he was surprisingly fun to be around.  
Behind the cold façade, Beta liked joking and his sassy replies took a whole different meaning for Chanyeol.  
Especially when his father’s lawyer, Kyungsoo, was around.  
From what Chanyeol understood, Beta and Kyungsoo knew from forever and they spent a lot of time together in the past, following similar studies for a certain point in their life.  
He couldn’t get much more since Beta was still secretive about his past but having Kyungsoo around made Chanyeol want to stay home and watch those two interacting.  
Especially the first time Kyungsoo came in  
Beta was washing the dishes and told Chanyeol that his father’s lawyer would pass in few minutes to bring him some sheets to sign.  
Chanyeol opened the door just because event though he had never seen that man before.  
Tall as Beta, dark hair and eyes, face rounded.  
He showed him the way until the kitchen were Beta was drying dishes.  
“You got tamed?” Kyungsoo asked him from behind, making Beta frown.  
“Never. I have no owner and you know it” he replied shortly and Chanyeol assisted at the scene perplexed.  
Usually some sassy reply would come, but Beta seemed to be more relaxed around this Kyungsoo.  
“Mr. Park could dissent about this” Kyungsoo noted making Beta laugh briefly.  
“Boss is the first one who knows it. Don’t have to worry. He raised me like this” he objected making Kyungsoo smile.  
“Still… And sorry for the last introduction. You are Mr. Park’s son, right?” he asked toward Chanyeol who nodded shortly.  
“Do Kyungsoo, Mr. Park’s lawyer and Baek’s friend since we have memories” he greeted, shaking his hand with Chanyeol’s.  
Beta snorted shortly.  
“Chanyeol, don’t let him fool you. He’s not just a lawyer. He’s boss best lawyer” he commented and Kyungsoo threw at him a scornful stare.  
“Are you making fun of me?” Kyungsoo asked but Beta shook his head.  
“I could never. I still care about my life” he defended himself making Chanyeol flinched briefly.  
“He’s joking. I’m not lethal as he is” Kyungsoo added making Beta laughing shortly.  
“You are scaring him, Soo…” he started saying but trailing off when something buzzed in his ears.  
“Just a sec” he added exiting the room, leaving Chanyeol and Kyungsoo alone.  
Chanyeol sat in silence, trying not to stare too much at the man who was tapping on his phone.  
“So, you are Mr. Park’s son. And Baek is guarding you… what a coincidence” he said softly, making Chanyeol perching his eyebrow.  
“What do you mean?” he asked interested but Kyungsoo shook his head.  
“Nothing. Just that it was a while since I saw Baek so relaxed around someone else” he replied and Chanyeol’s perplexed stare was immediately on Kyungsoo.  
“Relaxed? He’s always so tense and cold” he commented but Kyungsoo laughed bitterly.  
“He’s still here to protect your ass, if I am not mistaking it” he retorted and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
There was a small silence before Kyungsoo sighed deeply.  
“I suppose he’s not sleeping properly again” he whispered and actually Chanyeol never saw him sleeping.  
“I’ve never…” he started but Kyungsoo nodded already.  
He started playing with the hem of the plastic bag he had with him, thinking.  
“Baek is always like this. I have to remind Mr. Park to give him some days, otherwise it will happen like last time” he mumbled probably unthinking that Chanyeol was hearing.  
“What happened last time?” he asked shortly and Kyungsoo sighed again, deeper than before and shaking his head, exasperated.  
“He was so focused on that mission that he slept like one hour per night for … months? And when he couldn’t take it anymore he went down with high fever for a week. We thought that he contracted some weird disease” he stated and Chanyeol frowned deeply.  
“He’s already here for almost five months” he commented shortly and Kyungsoo sighed again.  
He was giving his reply when Beta returned in the kitchen, stare preoccupied, fixed on the screen of his smartphone.  
“Everything’s fine?” Chanyeol asked him perplexed and immediately Beta smiled softly toward him, making the phone disappear in his pocket.  
“Sure. Nothing important” he replied and Chanyeol frowned not commenting anymore his reply.  
But Kyungsoo couldn’t take a reply like that as good.  
“Nothing important like your annual check-up? Or nothing important like your birthday in few weeks?” he asked, stare fixed on Beta and Beta’s stare was immediately on him too.  
“Nothing like why in the world you can’t keep your mouth closed?” he retorted back but Kyungsoo shook his head.  
“I’m here exactly for that reason. Mr. Park already paid for the check-up but he phoned me today because Doc told him you never went to see him” he added and Beta clicked his tongue.  
“I was busy” he whispered and Kyungsoo stared at him flatly.  
“Are you kidding me?” he asked back, tone plain and no amusement.  
“Come on, Soo, when did I have time to go and have this check-up? And I’m fine, I don’t need it” he complained but Kyungsoo’s stare hardened.  
“Don’t make me tell you things you don’t want to hear, Baek. I need you to come with me. And I mean, now” he declared and it had a finality that Beta didn’t know how to retort.  
He sighed shortly.  
“I have to call hyung. I can’t leave Chanyeol alone…” he started but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I’ll come with you. So, it will be fine, right?” he asked and Kyungsoo nodded immediately.  
“Perfect, so we don’t have to call Xiumin either” he declared and Beta sighed shortly in defeat.  
“Fine. Let’s go then” he concluded, resigned.  
  
  
Beta drove them to the clinic.  
It was a strange place, too airy and too white to be a hospital or a clinic.  
When they arrived, they were certainly waited because a man with a white coat was waiting for them.  
Tall a bit more than Beta himself, dark brown hair and clear eyes.  
“Oh, Baekhyun, finally” he commented seeing them entering from the door and Beta nodded shortly, following him in the corridors.  
Kyungsoo and Chanyeol followed him.  
“It was almost a year and a half. I was starting to worry about your health” he commented and Chanyeol tried his best to hear everything at the better.  
He was sure that he’d learn a lot from that visit.  
He already knew Beta’s first name: Baekhyun.  
“I was a bit busy” Beta commented, passing his hand through his hair, and the man laughed shortly.  
“Sure, sure. As always” he concluded showing them a big room where they could enter and seat.  
“One of them have to stay for clinical procedure but if you want…” the doctor said, but Beta’s shook his head.  
“It’s the same. It’s not like I have nothing to hide. If Chanyeol wanted to know he just have to ask his father anyway” he commented shrugging his shoulders.  
The doctor stare went to Chanyeol immediately.  
“So you’re Mr. Park’s son. Nice to meet you, I’m doctor Kim Junmyeon, and I work for your father for a lot of years” he introduced himself and Chanyeol nodded, greeting him with an hand shake.  
They sat together in front of Junmyeon’s desk.  
“Perfect. So, let’s start from the generical data” he stated, browsing through some sheets in front of him and Beta nodded shortly.  
“Byun Baekhyun. Born sixth May 1992, Bucheon” he replied briefly, removing his earpieces and his jacket and giving them to Kyungsoo that was sitting beside him.  
“Brother or sister?” the doctor asked him, finding the folder he was looking for, and Beta shook his head.  
“Parents?” he continued while Beta started unbuttoning his shirt.  
“Deceased. Both of them” he replied shortly, taking off also the shirt and Chanyeol could hardly tear away his eyes from Beta’s torso.  
He was fitted and slender as Chanyeol could imagine, but his skin was also covered in old scars that shone faintly in the bright light.  
“Particular illness or disease? Accidents? Any allergy or intolerance?” he continued picking up the folder and staring at Beta that laughed softly.  
“Why are we doing this again? It’s all the same from last year, Junmyeon” he commented but the doctor shook his head, repeating the question.  
“Two time recovered without any apparent reasons, and once for a car crash. Several for these” he continued pointing at the scars, “and no allergy or intolerances” he concluded.  
Chanyeol couldn’t believe his ears, astonished.  
Okay that his family was involved in fishy affairs too, but Beta seemed to be heavily signed by his life.  
“Perfect, stand up” the doctor said him, making him stand.  
“You are keeping your diet under control?” he asked him taking the stethoscope and a wooden short stick, and Beta nodded shortly.  
“Yes, and I don’t lack physical activities” he replied, letting him flex his arms and check his neck.  
“Did you get any lucky with lovers this year?” he continued examining his chest and Beta laughed soundly.  
“I barely manage time for sleep, let’s say that I don’t have the interest in finding one?” he managed to reply, and the doctor hummed, checking also his back.  
“Speaking of sleep…” he started but Beta shook his head.  
“Let’s not speak about that, won’t we?” he interrupted immediately but the doctor hit him shortly with the stethoscope.  
“You are not sleeping again?” he enquired and Kyungsoo replied for him.  
“He said he’s too busy to sleep too” he joked, and the doctor hit him again.  
“You will be too busy also when you will die, Baekhyun?” Junmyeon told him but Beta shook his head.  
“I’m doing my best…” he started but this time was Chanyeol’s turn to intervene.  
“He’s not” was the simple sentence that made them turn toward him.  
Junmyeon sighed.  
“You are even making Mr. Park’s son worrying for you. I don’t know how to comment this…” he interjected, shaking his head.  
“It’s not like that. I’m just…” Beta tried again but the three shook their heads in the same moment, making him silent.  
“Mr. Park, please. Baekhyun is a brat in a whole set of things. I know that right now he’s assigned to your protection, but sometimes, please, stay home and let him rest. He often forgets about it, but he’s human too” Junmyeon told directly to Chanyeol and even before Beta could comment, Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Sure. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it before” he stated making Beta’s eyes getting wider in surprise.  
Chanyeol was worried about him not sleeping enough, especially after what Kyungsoo told him earlier.  
“Glad to have your cooperation” Junmyeon added, softly pinching Beta’s side and making him squeal.  
“So, you have to behave and to sleep, Baekhyun. Otherwise, I’ll tell him to call me and I’ll tell directly to Mr. Park. You know how he’s worried about you” he stated but Beta sighed shortly.  
“Boss doesn’t need to worry. I’m fine” he mumbled, taking the t-shirt Junmyeon was giving him.  
“Sure. Now go change that we have several exams incoming. Soo will keep Mr. Park company in the meantime” he concluded, gently slapping Beta’s shoulder and he nodded, following his instructions and leaving Kyungsoo and Chanyeol alone.  
“You didn’t know anything about Baek, right?” he asked Chanyeol, and he could only shake his head.  
“He is always so reserved on his things, I don’t know why he let me in in such an important appointment” Chanyeol replied, carding his fingers through his hair and messing them up.  
Kyungsoo hummed in thought.  
“I think it’s because he started to trust you?” he suggested but Chanyeol laughed.  
“Sure, trust. He never tells me anything. I’m just his work. Something he has to do” he commented but Kyungsoo quickly shook his head.  
“You don’t know? Baek asked personally Mr. Park to assign him this work. Your father didn’t agree from the start, because for him was like losing a great eraser but Baek guaranteed him that he could do both things. That’s another reason why he almost never sleeps” he explained and Chanyeol was astonished.  
He overheard that conversation between his father and Beta, but he didn’t think that Beta arrived also to propose his father to keep both the works in order to take Chanyeol’s protection task.  
“So, my father never proposed him this job. Baek asked for it?” he commented incredulous and Kyungsoo nodded shortly.  
“Why?” Chanyeol asked briefly and Kyungsoo’s stare was on his immediately.  
“I can’t reply to this question. You should ask directly to him” he concluded, shaking his head.  
Chanyeol was more perplexed than ever in his life.  
It didn't make any sense.  
Why Beta would be willing to take a job he usually wouldn't do, keeping also his old one?  
For then insisting he hadn't any choice because Chanyeol's father forced that work on him?  
He hummed in thought, making Kyungsoo's stare at him.  
"Baek will never tell you, if you're planning to ask him, by the way" he added and Chanyeol sighed.  
"What's even the point in suggesting me to ask him directly, then?" he asked, pulling his fingers in his hair and huffing.  
"Why are you so interested in him, Mr. Park?" Kyungsoo enquired, keeping his stare on Chanyeol.  
They stared at each other for a short while and then Chanyeol shook his head.  
"I am not" he simply replied, lying shortly and Kyungsoo sighed again, deeply.  
"Then it's better if you don't ask too much around. Baek is a great person and a good friend. But has a lot of secrets that he wants to keep hidden. And I consider myself as his best friend, if not one of the very few he has, so I won't tell you anything he wouldn't tell you" he commented shaking his head.  
Chanyeol sighed again.  
"What if I ask my father about him?" he asked and for an instant he was sure that a feeling similar to anger passed in Kyungsoo's stare.  
"Do it. He will have only good words to spend on Baek" he replied, with a politeness that felt somehow forced.  
"You...?" Chanyeol started but Kyungsoo stopped him, shaking his head.  
"You don't know what Baek went through all of these years. So, if you have to ask, do it discreetly. And try to force yourself in putting all the pieces together" he added and Chanyeol really wanted to ask him something more but Beta was back with the doctor.  
Kyungsoo stood up, followed by Chanyeol.  
"How is he?" he asked and Junmyeon smiled softly.  
"Better? I'm glad that at least he quit smoking? But for the rest everything is the same, sleep apart" he replied making Kyungsoo huff in exasperation.  
"Did you remind him for the hundredth time that if he doesn't sleep also his reflexes will be blunt?" he asked and the doctor nodded.  
Beta sighed fixing his necktie and earpieces.  
"I'm here, if you forget about it" he whispered but Kyungsoo shook his head, ignoring him.  
"You also took blood sample?" he asked to Junmyeon who nodded briefly and Kyungsoo nodded to Beta.  
"Let's stop to that cafe you like so much, then. You need sugar intake" he continued, giving him also the jacket and Beta wanted to counter but Chanyeol nodded.  
"I'd eat something sweet too" he added, smiling briefly and Beta smiled back.  
"Sure then" he concluded.  
They exchanged some greetings with the doctor and the Beta drove them until the cafe mentioned by Kyungsoo before.  
It wasn't big or fancy.  
Just a little retrò and with old leather chairs.  
"B! Soo! It was ages! How are you guys doing?" the man behind the counter asked, realizing immediately that there was another person with them.  
He was tall, even though not as much as Chanyeol, and he had blonde hair and hazelnut eyes.  
"And you brought... Friend, I suppose?" he asked nodding toward Chanyeol.  
Beta smiled softly.  
"Someone along the lines, yes" he commented but then the man recognized him.  
"Are you Park Chanyeol?" he asked and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
The man cringed briefly at the gesture even though made his best to hide it.  
"It's an honor to have Mr. Park in my small cafe" he whispered and Kyungsoo intervened immediately.  
"Jongin, would you bring the usual for me and Baek? And a menu for Mr. Park" he requested and the man, Jongin, nodded shortly starting to use the coffee machine behind him.  
Kyungsoo sighed, staring at Beta.  
"I'm not happy about what the doctor said, Baek" he commented waiting for their coffee to be ready and Beta shrugged his shoulders.  
"He even congratulated with me for not smoking anymore" he added but Kyungsoo sighed.  
"You aren't sleeping, Baek. Not only not enough, not at all" he observed and Chanyeol shook his head too.  
"You have to sleep, Baek. Otherwise you will collapse" he added at what Kyungsoo already said making Beta sighed again too.  
"I don't need you guys to remind me" he whispered softly but Kyungsoo punched him briefly on the shoulder.  
"You need it! What if I wouldn't come today? And if you have a fever like last time?" he asked but Beta's stare hardened.  
Something dark passed in his stare, making Chanyeol remember of the first time Beta was with him.  
"I'd do like every other time it happened and you weren't there?" he spat out and Kyungsoo glared at him.  
"I'd prefer if you could not arrive at that point anymore?" he retorted harder and if it wasn't for Jongin’s intervention, probably it would go further.  
"Come on guys, you are friends from forever and always got along. Won't you quit it?" he asked smiling softly to them and pushing toward them their dishes and coffee.  
Beta sighed shortly.  
"I'm... Sorry?" he whispered softly but Kyungsoo smiled.  
"I'm sorry too. I'm just worried about you... I don't want to see you like that anymore" he murmured adding several lumps to his coffee and Beta smiled too.  
"I'll try to sleep a bit more, okay?" he started softly making Kyungsoo nodding shortly, stare shifting to Chanyeol.  
"You heard him? Keep an eye on him, will you?" he asked and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
"I'll do my best" he concluded, before ordering from the menu something.  
They ate chatting with Jongin about nothings and news from the world.  
Then Beta drove Kyungsoo home.  
"Thanks for letting me bring you to see Doc" Kyungsoo said before exiting the car and Beta nodded shortly.  
"Thanks for insisting" he replied and Kyungsoo smiled.  
"Go home and rest a bit" he concluded waiving and entering his house.  
Chanyeol sighed shortly when they were alone.  
"I'm sorry for taking your time, Chanyeol" he whispered, starting the engine again and Chanyeol shook his head.  
"I didn't know anything about you" he just replied, voice barely audible, like if he was talking with himself and Beta's stare was immediately on his face.  
"Why would you care about that? I'm just your guard..." he started saying, shifting his eyes on the street.  
"You are not only my guard, Baek" he interrupted him, sighing, but Beta shook immediately his head.  
"We already talked about this, if I don't mistake. And you are not supposed to be concerned about me" he commented without staring toward the man sitting beside him.  
"But I am" he commented sharply making Beta flinch.  
"You shouldn't. It's not something you should care about" he whispered, parking the car in front of the house.  
He made his move to exit the car but Chanyeol put a hand on his arm, stopping him.  
"After today I think that I have all the reasons for worrying about you, Baekhyun" he murmured making Beta’s eyes widened in astonishment and he could clearly see perplexity and hurt inside them.  
"Don't. We are not friends, you don't know anything about me. Please, don't make things more difficult" he sighed, fingers slowly caressing Chanyeol's hand before pulling away.  
Chanyeol was astonished too.  
Beta caressed his hand?  
Even though it was only for a second.  
He exited the car too following Beta inside.  
"Wait" he called back when they were in the living room.  
Beta turned and Chanyeol neared him.  
"There's still things you are not telling me" he stated standing in the center of the room, not more than a meter of distance between them, and Beta flinched.  
"It's not like I have any obligations toward you, Chanyeol" he retorted shifting his stare to the floor.  
"I want to know who I'm living with" he countered but Beta shook his head.  
"I can live outside, if you want. I have my own home somewhere" he continued voice soft and almost a whisper but Chanyeol shook his head.  
"It's not my point here, Baek" he said shrugging his shoulders and smiling bitterly.  
"Chanyeol, you can ask whatever you want about me to your father. Why are we having this conversation?" he asked and Chanyeol clicked his tongue.  
There was something going on between his father and Beta and despite what Xiumin told him, Chanyeol started to doubt about this devotion that Beta had toward his father.  
There were things that didn’t fit in together.  
"I want to know it from you" he interjected, voice steady seeing Beta sighing again.  
"Why?" he asked shortly, shaking his head and Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders.  
"Because I prefer asking directly to you. My father has nothing to do with this" he replied honestly.  
Beta sighed deeply, sitting on the couch.  
"Fine, ask me whatever you want" he said giving up and Chanyeol sat near him, satisfied.  
"When did you joined Park family?" he asked making Beta inhaling deeply.  
"I was six. Boss took me in after I beat his boys up" he started softly, carding his fingers in his hair, messing them up.  
"I was messing around with his territory privileges. And he decided to take me in and raised me making me study and train me in several arts" he explained and Chanyeol hummed shortly.  
"I became an eraser at eighteen. Boss needed a trustworthy man and I was ready" he concluded, making Chanyeol nod in understanding.  
"And why did you take this... Task?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.  
He wanted to know why and wanted Beta to know that he knew that he was the one that asked his father for the job, not the contrary.  
"Because why not?" he asked back but Chanyeol shook his head.  
"Retry" he whispered and Beta raised his eyebrow in thought.  
"Because I wanted to take it?" he tried again but Chanyeol shook his head again.  
Beta sighed deeply.  
"You already know, right? Soo must have told you something..." he said in defeat.  
Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
"I asked boss to assign me to your protection" he told him sighing and bracing himself to the next question.  
"Why?" he asked him again and Beta shook his head.  
"I had my reasons, Chanyeol, can't we just...?" he started but Chanyeol's stare was fixed on him.  
"I need to know if it's something important" he commented but Beta shook his head shortly.  
"It's not. It's a stupid old story. You gave me candies and..." he started and Chanyeol frowned.  
"We already met? Before all of this?" he enquired briefly, finally getting near the answer he wanted, and Beta's stare was immediately on his face.  
There was resignation and sadness.  
Chanyeol couldn’t quite process the reaction.  
Why would Beta feel sad about he and Chanyeol meeting before?  
And why he never mentioned it?  
But, more importantly, why Chanyeol didn’t remember anything about that?  
"Yeah, only few times" he whispered sitting up.  
He took his phone from his trousers checking why it was vibrating.  
"Sorry, I have to take this" he added, fixing his earpiece inside his ear again.  
"Boss, is there any problem?" he asked and Chanyeol shook his head.  
Punctually, every time that he was getting somewhere with Beta, his father intervened or called him.  
It was fate that Chanyeol didn’t know anything about it?  
"No, I'm here with Chanyeol right now" he continued immediately flinching at the reply coming from his interlocutor.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he started but he was cut off again.  
"Sure. I'll be there in fifteen minutes" he concluded shortly, closing the call.  
"I'm sorry, Chanyeol. Your father wants to see me. Want to come along or do you want me to call Xiumin?" he asked without even looking him in the eyes.  
It must be something serious.  
Beta seemed somehow dejected.  
"I'll come with you. There's no meaning in staying here, especially because I want it to be as short as possible. You need to rest too" Chanyeol commented briefly and Beta sighed.  
"He will probably ask me to take a different mission" he stated keeping opened the front door for Chanyeol.  
He stopped immediately, looking at him perplexed.  
"You will go away?" he asked but Beta shook his head.  
"Probably, I think it will be for tomorrow" he replied and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“I’ll wait for you” he concluded exiting the house, thought fixed on the idea that another mission awaited Beta and the time he could rest decreased significantly.  
  
  
The drive to Park mansion was silent.  
Beta seemed to be focused on his thoughts and Chanyeol didn’t want to add anything to what was already said.  
When they arrived, Chanyeol’s father received them immediately even though he was surprised to see also Chanyeol together with Beta.  
In the same moment they entered the room, Mr. Park slapped soundly Beta on his cheek.  
“What in the world were you thinking about?” he asked voice hard and stare fixed on Beta who remained immobile, even without flinching in the slightest.  
“What was better in that moment. You asked me quickly and traceless” he replied, voice flat and Mr. Park slapped his cheek again, making Chanyeol flinch.  
Why his father was hitting Beta?  
He made some mistakes in his previous work?  
It was a necessary thing?  
“Father…” he started but both Beta and Mr. Park raised a hand in his direction.  
“How dare you speaking up to me, Beta? I thought I raised you differently!” Mr. Park continued, raising his voice, face getting a redder shade and Beta nodded.  
“I just followed your order, boss” he replied again with the same tone as before, not moving in the slightest and Mr. Park was furious.  
Chanyeol admired Beta’s calmness in that moment and he wondered what in the world Beta was thinking about in that moment.  
“You are getting unruly. Do you plan to take over Park family?” Mr. Park scolded him, tone getting angrier but Beta laughed soundly, arching up his eyebrow.  
“Boss, I wouldn’t want to be you even in ages. And I don’t plan nothing against you otherwise you wouldn’t be here anymore” he commented shortly and smirking the same way Chanyeol saw him do the first time they met.  
Chanyeol was perplexed.  
The Beta he was seeing in that moment was sure of himself and just menaced the head of Park family like he was ordering coffee.  
It seemed like he didn’t fear his father or the role he covered in Park family.  
“Baekhyun! What’s got into you?” Mr. Park asked, clearly pissed off.  
Beta shook his head, shortly.  
“I can ask you the same, boss. I followed your order and did exactly what you asked me. Why are you complaining right now? Isn’t what you wanted?” he retorted, icy tone and hard stare fixed on Mr. Park.  
Chanyeol haven’t seen Beta so cold since that night when he saved his and Sehun’s lives.  
Mr. Park was taken aback from the tone and shifted completely subject.  
“You clearly remember our terms, right?” he asked again, smirk appearing on his face, and Beta’s eyes widened.  
“Oh, so this is the game we are playing, boss. You want to blackmail me with the task I’m currently in?” he said clicking his tongue, head gesturing shortly toward Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol’s eyes widened too.  
If Beta made some mistakes, why his father couldn’t simply reduce his paycheck or fire him?  
What was the point in blackmailing one of your underlings?  
“What if it’s like that?” Mr. Park blurted out and Beta snorted.  
“I just tell you that it’s not favorable for you, boss. You don’t want to antagonize your, as per your words, best eraser and wingman?” he noted, making Mr. Park whitening.  
Chanyeol raised an eyebrow.  
Beta was seriously threatening his father?  
And his father feared Beta?  
“Are you threating me, Baek?” were the only words that Mr. Park managed to mutter, making Beta smiling shortly.  
“Only if it’s necessary” he concluded making Mr. Park sigh deeply.  
“Fine, then. Keep up with your good work. This is your task for tomorrow night” he stated throwing at him a lilac envelope that Beta caught immediately.  
“Thanks, boss. See you around” he concluded, bowing shortly and exiting the room, followed by Chanyeol who was beyond astonishment.  
They reached the car and Beta sighed shortly, unlocking it, without entering.  
“Want to go drink something?” he asked toward Chanyeol who stared back at him perplexed, nodding even before he could realize it.  
“Perfect” he whispered sitting on driver’s seat and driving Chanyeol to an unknown place.  
They sat in silence until a tall building apparently made of glass.  
Beta exited and waited for Chanyeol to follow.  
“Where are we?” he asked while they waited for the lift to reach ground floor.  
“Best night club in all the city. My friend works here and you can see all the city from the upper floor. I come here when I want to stay alone and relax” he replied shortly and shifting his stare toward the elevator that pinged, doors opening.  
Beta pressed the button with written forty on it and leaned on the wall, waiting.  
“And why…?” Chanyeol started asking, looking at Beta slowly pulling down his necktie.  
“Do you mind?” he asked back but Chanyeol shook his head immediately.  
“Then don’t ask and enjoy” he replied showing to Chanyeol’s one of the sweetest smile he ever saw.  
Chanyeol wanted to ask him other hundreds of things, but he just smiled back enjoying the moment.  
When they reached the floor, Beta exited guiding Chanyeol through a short corridor that opened up in a big space, all windows that dominated the city.  
Chanyeol was fascinated like a child but had to contain himself because Beta was already nearing the counter sitting on a high stool.  
“Dae, the usual, please” he said sitting and a man with light brown hair and eyes, smiled shortly.  
“B, it was a while. Nice to see you” he started but the stare immediately drifted to Chanyeol who sat beside Beta.  
“And you are not alone. What happened? Did I miss something in your love life? Soo didn’t tell me anything either” he commented making Chanyeol slightly blush, but Beta shook his head.  
“When would I take the time for a relationship?” he asked back, smiling softly, but the man smiled slyly.  
“One-night stand can be pretty fun too” added immediately, making Beta laugh shortly.  
“He’s my boss’ son. And straight as one can be, Dae” he explained, making him flinch behind the counter.  
“So, you brought enemies here” he muttered, making Chanyeol raising his eyebrow in perplexity.  
Chanyeol couldn’t quite keep up with the discourse, not knowing the man nor how to behave in his presence.  
“No need to be this hostile. He’s my guest tonight and I don’t think he will cause any trouble. Luckily enough, he’s pretty different from his father” Beta stated, gesturing toward Chanyeol with his head.  
“I don’t know exactly what you are thinking, but I’m here just to share some quality time with Baek” Chanyeol added and the man in front of him, studied him shortly before smiling.  
“Fine, then” he concluded asking him what he wanted to drink.  
Beta introduced them shortly.  
The man at the bar was Kim Jondae, barman and singer.  
After Chanyeol ordered, Beta started speaking softly.  
“I have been friend with Soo and Dae since boarding school. They are reliable friends to me” he said nodding toward the man who was preparing their drinks and who laughed shortly.  
“You only had us a certain point. You had to like us, somehow” he replied but Beta shook his head immediately.  
“Idiot” he commented making the man smile and shifting his stare toward Chanyeol.  
“See? Does he behave like this also with you?” he asked but Chanyeol shook his head too.  
“Ah but you’re Mr. Park’s son. No wonder he had to treat you good” Jondae added and Chanyeol’s stare moved from Jondae to Beta and vice versa.  
“He seems to be quite fond of my father” Chanyeol added, making Beta flinch and Jondae explode in a laughter.  
“Fond? Of your father? Not B” he stated decisively and Chanyeol stared at Beta waiting for an explanation.  
Jondae put their drinks in front of them and Beta sighed shortly, shaking his head.  
“Can I have more ice?” he asked and Jondae looked at him perplexed before noticing that his cheek was starting to swell.  
“B, what the hell happened? You should have asked immediately for it!” he exclaimed fretting around to retrieve a bag to put some ice into.  
He came back two minutes later with a rag full of ice cubes and putting it into Beta’s hands.  
“Thanks” he said briefly, leaning on it with his cheek.  
“And you don’t have to worry. It’s just a slap” he commented trying to reassure Jondae, whose stare went immediately to Chanyeol.  
But Chanyeol’s stare was already on Beta.  
“It wasn’t one. But two. And I still don’t understand why you let him slap you” he stated voice flat and perplexity in his stare and Beta snorted shortly.  
“The first time I didn’t expect him to really hit me. He knows that it’s not wise to do it, because I can’t stand the gesture. And the second because he was spouting nonsense and for a moment he managed to make me unable to think straight” he commented shaking his head, shifting the ice bag on his cheek.  
“When there was something straight in you, B?” Jondae commented making Beta laugh soundly and Chanyeol choke on his drink.  
So, Beta’s preferences verged on same sex relationship?  
“Never, I suppose” he replied, sipping from his glass too and looking toward Chanyeol.  
“Hope it won’t bother you too much” Beta added immediately, stare concerned, but Chanyeol shook his head.  
He was no one to judge in the first place since he himself wasn’t any straighter.  
“No worries, there’s no problem for me” he said, limiting his answer to only that, but still earning himself another beautiful smile from Beta.  
He was so cute and so well-disposed toward Chanyeol that night that he couldn’t quite believe it.  
Chanyeol smiled softly too, raising his drink toward Beta.  
“To this place and this strange evening?” he proposed shortly, droplet of condense dripping down the side of the glass, and Beta nodded.  
“Fair enough” he said clicking his glass with Chanyeol’s.  
There was a small silence and then Chanyeol decided to push his luck a bit.  
Maybe he would get some more answers from Beta, since he was so keen on talking that night.  
“You still haven’t told me why you required this task” he made him notice and Beta sighed, finishing his drink in one gulp and ordering immediately another.  
“Why do you want to know it so much, Chanyeol?” he asked back, fixing his eyes on Chanyeol’s and waiting for a reply.  
Chanyeol shrugged his shoulders.  
“As per your words, you never took guardian task. You are an eraser but you forced your will on your boss just to have this particular task. There must be a reason” he commented and Jondae, who just pushed Beta’s drink toward his direction, snorted soundly.  
“You still at it, Mr. Park? B’s intentions seem to be pretty obvious to me” he noted, smirk present on his lips, and Beta sighed, shaking his head.  
“He doesn’t remember a single thing, Dae” he interjected and Jondae’s stare widened.  
Chanyeol was perplexed and didn’t quite follow the discourse.  
“Nothing?” Jondae asked toward Beta and he seemed to be astonished.  
“Not a single thing” Beta repeated, making Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I’m not following. What should I remember?” he asked shortly, voice a bit unsteady, and Beta sighed.  
“We played together a lot when we were kids. We lived in the same house for years, before boss decided to put me in a boarding school. Soo was our neighbor before coming to my same boarding school where we met Dae” he explained sighing and Chanyeol hadn’t any words.  
Why he didn’t remember anything about that?  
“I was right. They kept convincing you that it didn’t happened, after your mother’s death” Beta added and Chanyeol flinched briefly.  
Even though a lot of year passed since his mother’s death, he was still delicate on the subject.  
And now that Beta spoke about that, Chanyeol remembered going to a psychologist for a while after that event.  
“Why should they…?” he started but Beta shook his head.  
“I don’t have a clue, but it’s the reason why I never left Park family and why I asked so fervently to have this job” he replied, stare shifting on the bottom of his drink.  
“And because I owe my life to your mother and knowing that something happened after her passing, it kept bugging me for years” he whispered and both Chanyeol and Jondae smiled softly.  
“Those were your best years, right?” Jondae asked to Beta who nodded imperceptibly.  
“They are a fond memory to me” he just added, drinking also the last bit of drink.  
Chanyeol wanted to add something but Beta sat up, fishing his wallet from the jacket.  
“Dae, thanks for the company and the small chat but I’m feeling a bit tipsy and Soo insisted that I have to sleep more. So I’ll go sleeping” he said and Jondae hummed.  
“It was a pleasure and Soo is still too kind toward you. He should start beating you up if you are not taking care enough of your health” he said and then immediately shifting his stare to Chanyeol.  
“And you,” he started pointing his finger toward him and making him feel uncomfortable.  
“If B doesn’t behave, force him. He won’t take care if no one keeps reminding him and since you are currently the one who is spending the most of his time with, cooperate” he declared, officially and making Beta snort briefly.  
He wanted to reply when Chanyeol spoke.  
“I will. I promised also to that Kyungsoo guy and to the doctor. I will bug you about this” he whispered, avoiding to glance toward Beta but feeling his stare immediately on him.  
“You don’t have to…” he whispered but Chanyeol smiled softly.  
“But I want to” he concluded and if he wasn’t mistaking for an instant he could see a soft blush appearing on Beta’s cheeks.  
“So, you don’t have any more excuses” Jondae said, smirking toward them and Chanyeol nodded.  
“Let’s go then” Chanyeol concluded and Beta nodded following him.  
They remained silent until the car and when they were both in, Chanyeol spoke softly.  
“Thanks for inviting me along” he whispered, smiling toward Beta that nodded shortly, pulling his security belt and gesturing Chanyeol to do the same.  
“It was a pleasure and I’m not saying it because you are boss…” he started but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“You would never. You’re not one of those people who tell things just for obligations” Chanyeol stopped him and Beta smiled tiredly.  
“Thanks, Chanyeol. I’d never think that I would have the chance to thank you again like this” he mumbled softly, so softly that it was barely audible and Chanyeol thought he was so cute he wanted to caress his head, reassuring him that everything would be fine.  
When in the world he had this thought on Beta?  
It was the first time he had them and he was a bit perplexed.  
So, he didn’t and limited himself to smiling softly again.  
“I’m sorry for not remind anything related to you or also that lawyer, your friend” he added immediately but Beta shook his head.  
“I knew that something happened while we were away. I realized immediately once I came back to the mansion. Your father wasn’t the same either and when he told me that you…” Beta started saying but then he shook his head, sighing.  
“It doesn’t matter anymore” he corrected himself immediately, but Chanyeol wanted to know so he enquired further, asking him what he meant.  
Beta sighed again.  
“Chanyeol, why are you so interested in this? You don’t even remember us, nor me nor Soo. Isn’t it better if you just forget about this?” he demanded, parking his car in front of Chanyeol’s house and staring at him in the eyes.  
Without waiting for his reply, Beta immediately added: “It will just bring you old memories and sadness. You don’t need to force yourself”.  
But Chanyeol shook his head again.  
It wasn’t only sadness or misery.  
He wanted to know why someone forced him to forget about Beta.  
“I need to know, Baek. Whatever happened before my mother’s passing is… obfuscated” he commented and for the first time ever in his life, Chanyeol was speaking about that with someone who wasn’t a doctor or someone he was obligated to speak with.  
Beta sighed softly.  
“Let’s go inside. It’s getting colder here” he said shortly and Chanyeol followed him in the house.  
Once in the living room, Beta vanished in the kitchen for coming back two minutes later with two beers, a bottle of wine and two glassed.  
“You don’t like wine, right?” he asked to Chanyeol who shook his head, accepting the two beers and one of the glasses.  
“Chanyeol, everything you don’t remember is still somewhere inside your mind. However, I’m not the most correct person to help you. It’s not like I know something of psychology…” he started saying but Chanyeol sighed, opening the beer and drinking directly from the bottle instead of pouring it in the glass.  
Beta sighed too at the gesture, pouring himself a glass of wine.  
“Tell me about things we did together or things you remember about us playing together” he asked briefly, leaning his head to the back of the couch where he was sitting with Beta.  
He sighed before sipping a bit of wine.  
“I remember the garden of the main house. We ran there playing hide and seek when you had teachers coming home to make you tutoring. Your mother always protected us from your father when he knew that the teachers searched for you all the afternoon without finding you” he started softly, small smile appearing on his lips, gaze distant in the years.  
Chanyeol smiled softly, seeing him so relaxed thinking about the past things, memories that per Jondae’s words, Beta kept very dearly.  
Beta hummed shortly, taking another sip, before adding something that make his smile grew wider.  
“Or when I closed both of us in the basement because I was sure my ability in lockpicking was sufficient and when I realize I couldn’t open the door, I started crying like the kid I was and you kept telling me that everything would be fine even though you were crying too” he explained, sniggering at the memory.  
Chanyeol laughed briefly too, admiring how Beta’s smile was beautiful more than actually being focused on the words.  
Maybe it was the effects of the alcohol, but Beta seemed to be so different for his usual cold and distant self and Chanyeol found that new side of him extremely captivating.  
“Or again that time that you…” he started again, before biting softly his lips and attracting immediately Chanyeol’s attention.  
“That I?” he echoed but Beta shook his head.  
“Nothing. Better not remembering this now” he whispered shortly, emptying his glass and pouring another.  
“Why? Is it…?” Chanyeol started but Beta stopped him immediately with a gesture of his hand.  
“Not tonight. Maybe another time. Please” he asked, voice a bit unsteady and a glassiness in his stare, and Chanyeol was perplexed but nodded shortly.  
Maybe it was something embarrassing and he wasn’t keen on sharing it with Chanyeol so early?  
There was a silence during which Beta continued to drink in silence, mind absent and gaze staring far away in the years.  
“It’s not the case to go sleep now?” Chanyeol asked him and Beta nodded shortly, finishing the last sip of wine.  
“Sure. I don’t want Soo to worry any more than this” he commented sitting up and when Chanyeol thought that he wouldn’t be able to stand seeing how much he drank, Beta walked to the kitchen with his own legs and without even staggering.  
And only in that moment Chanyeol realized that he never saw Beta sleeping, neither once from when he arrived in his house.  
“You are using the guests’ room?” he asked shortly to Beta that returned from the kitchen, staring at him perplexed.  
“For what?” he replied back and Chanyeol scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.  
“For sleeping and showering, no?” he suggested like it was something obvious but Beta shook his head.  
“No? I’ve never taken a shower here. I usually go home while you’re sleeping. And if I can’t, I sleep on the couch” he replied shortly, shrugging his shoulders and Chanyeol’s eyes widen in surprise.  
“Are you joking? There’s a room here that no one uses, why don’t you use it?” he asked and Beta bit his lips briefly.  
“You never said that it was fine. And I’m not used to other people houses, so I don’t know how one should behave in this case” he replied shortly making Chanyeol sigh in exasperation.  
How could someone so apparently mature as Beta being also this clueless?  
He could have asked before?  
Why he never said anything?  
“I can’t believe it” he muttered, gesturing Beta to follow him and going in the direction of guests’ room.  
It was almost as big as Chanyeol’s, king bed, wardrobe and separate bathroom.  
“You can use it. It’s not like someone comes here, except Sehun who usually sleeps on the couch because he falls asleep while we are watching movies or reruns” he explained but Beta shook his head.  
“I can’t, Chanyeol. It’s not…” he started but Chanyeol stopped him immediately.  
“Do you prefer if I order it to you? I’m still your boss’ son, after all…” he stated, stare hard on Beta who sighed shortly.  
“You know that it doesn’t sound convincing at all?” he pointed out, small smile appearing on his lips and Chanyeol smiled too.  
“Let me retry, then. You’re nearer to my room in the case something would happens?” he suggested and Beta snorted, smile becoming wider.  
“Sure, sure. That’s a great thing, I’ll start using this room from now on” he commented shaking his head, passing his fingers through his hair, messing them up.  
Chanyeol’s gaze was fixed on Beta’s face.  
“You are tired, Baek. Take a shower and sleep a bit. It will make you feel better tomorrow” he suggested briefly, and Beta’s eyes met with his.  
He thought that Beta would shift the stare away, but they glanced at each other for almost two minutes, without saying nothing nor doing anything.  
“I’ll take your advice, Chanyeol. Thank you” he finally whispered and Chanyeol smiled again.  
“Whenever you need it, Baekhyun” he ended and this time for sure Chanyeol could see the blush on the other’s cheeks.  
Chanyeol thought that Beta would scolded him again for using his full name, but nothing came if not a beautiful small smile.  
“Good night” Beta said softly and Chanyeol nodded shortly, wishing him the same and retreating in his own room.  
Once the door was closed, he threw himself on the bed, groaning.  
What the hell just happened?  
Why he was feeling soft for Beta?  
It was simply the alcohol intake or he somehow felt attracted to the man?  
He sighed again, deciding for a cold shower too before sleep.  
  
  
The morning after, he was woken up by his phone ringtone.  
“Hello?” he asked even without checking the caller ID.  
“Sehun here! Are you up to shopping today?” he asked and Chanyeol groaned.  
“I’m still in bed, what’s the time?” he whispered covering his head with the pillow.  
“Almost eleven” Sehun huffed in reply and Chanyeol sat up immediately.  
“Sure, sure! I’ll dress immediately. Will you come here first?” he double checked but Sehun replied that he was already on his way there.  
Chanyeol sat up, washed face and teeth shortly and then dressed up.  
When he exited his room, in the house the silence was deafening.  
“Baek?” he called but no one replied.  
It was strange that Beta wasn’t around.  
He went to the kitchen where he found a small lilac note on the table.  
  
I went away for few hours. I’ll be back before lunch. Please, wait for me if you plan to exit. I haven’t called a-nyone because it should be a quick thing. Please, think at your safety first.  
If something, ANYTHING, happens, call me.  
B.  
  
Chanyeol sighed shortly taking the note in his hands and not only it was lilac but it also smelled like violet.  
“Totally not in his style” he whispered, even though he was worried about Beta.  
If he went away, the only explanation was that envelope that his father gave him the day before and containing a work like eraser.  
He was still considering things when he heard the front door opening.  
There was a silence and he didn’t know if Beta arrived or who other could be.  
He tried to stay still in the kitchen, but he bumped into the table, making a thud.  
He heard the sound of the gun’s safety even before seeing it.  
He closed his eyes, but nothing happened.  
There was a small sigh and only then he opened his eyes.  
“It’s just me” Beta said softly and Chanyeol exhaled deeply.  
After the scare, he stared at Beta, seeing him somehow different from the night before.  
“Is everything fine?” he asked shortly, worried but Beta nodded, putting away the gun.  
He still was very tense and Chanyeol shook his head shortly.  
“Are you sure? You are…” he started but Beta hummed, interrupting him.  
“Do you have some gauze?” he asked briefly, stare wandering for the kitchen, and Chanyeol panicked.  
“No, I don’t think…” he replied and wanted to ask a lot of things but Beta nodded shortly.  
“Okay” he replied stiffly, exiting the kitchen and going to his bedroom.  
Chanyeol followed him swiftly, worried about Beta.  
What happened to make him so different from before?  
He was uncertain before entering, but then he sighed and entered, searching for something in his bag.  
Only in that moment, Chanyeol realized that there was blood on his hands.  
“Baek! It’s blood!” he exclaimed, now more worried than before but Beta snorted shortly.  
“Surely not tomato sauce” he replied shortly, small smile on his lips, but he was sweating strangely.  
Chanyeol could see the sweat droplet running down his forehead and neck.  
“They shot you?” he asked again, nearing him but Beta made a gesture to stay distant from him.  
“It’s better if you exit. You wouldn’t like this” he whispered finally finding what he was looking for.  
It was a black bag that Beta brought with him in the bathroom.  
Chanyeol followed him again.  
“It’s not wise to stay here, Chanyeol. Especially if you don’t like blood” he commented, taking off his jacket and Chanyeol could see the stain in the shirt fabric, even if it was black.  
“What the…?” he started but Beta clicked his tongue, soundly.  
“Later. Whatever later. If you want to stay, suit yourself, but at least be silent” he ordered, almost tearing off his shirt.  
On his shoulder there was an injury and Beta hissed seeing it on the reflection in the mirror.  
He opened the bag and picked up a lighter and some tweezers.  
Beta passed the flame under them and when they were sufficiently reddened, he proceeded to remove whatever there was inside the wound.  
He hissed, biting his lips hard enough to make them bled too, until the object, that clearly was a bullet, was out.  
“Shit” he hissed again, pressing on the wound with a small disposable gauze.  
His fingers were trembling and he was white as the marble in the bathroom.  
“Do you want…?” Chanyeol started but Beta glanced at him through the mirror.  
“Take my phone and call Soo” he replied finally, voice barely audible, and Chanyeol nodded.  
“In my back pocket” he added, pressing harder his hand on the wound.  
Chanyeol had to refrain himself to think about the location and just taking that phone.  
He tried to unlock the screen, but fingerprints or password were asked for the unlock and Beta sighed.  
“Give me the password, you can change it later” Chanyeol pointed out, making Beta shook his head.  
“Press here, just a sec” he asked pointing the gauze, and Chanyeol complied immediately, giving him the phone.  
He unlocked it with fingerprints and scroll down the contacts until S.  
He clicked on it to call and set the speakerphone.  
“Sorry” he mumbled, starting again to press on the gauze.  
Chanyeol wanted to reply, but Kyungsoo picked up the call.  
“Baek, is anything wrong?” he asked, worried.  
“Like the morning sun, the hawk is up to hunt” he mumbled and there was a small silence before Kyungsoo sighed softly.  
Chanyeol was perplexed but he didn’t had time to think much more on it.  
“Are you okay?” he asked then and Beta laughed shortly.  
“Nothing new, Soo. I’ll be fine” he replied but Chanyeol intervened.  
“Maybe you need assistance with that. It’s not like you are a pro in suturing wounds” he pointed out and Kyungsoo almost shouted from the other end of the call.  
“They shot you? I can’t believe it? How many times did I…?” he started but censured immediately himself.  
“What’s even the point in telling you right now? Do you need help? Do you want me to come by?” he asked hurriedly, tone of the voice worried, and Beta sighed shortly.  
“I’ll do it alone, it’s not too deep. I had the jacket” he replied but Kyungsoo huffed.  
“Like that thing could save you? I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Press on it with something, towel is fine too. Did you already pull it out?” he asked shortly, and Beta replied affirmatively.  
“Fine, fifteen minutes” he concluded, hanging up.  
Beta sighed sitting on the border of the bathtub.  
“Care to explain?” Chanyeol asked and Beta laughed briefly, pressing harder on the wound and hissing, closing his eyes.  
“There’s nothing much to say. More people that originally planned. I took out someone but one of those guys was pretty good and hit me” he explained shortly and Chanyeol raised his eyebrow.  
“And?” he asked again and Beta snorted.  
“And they are all dead” he concluded and Chanyeol sighed softly.  
“Still, you earned another one of those” he commented gesturing toward Beta’s scars and Beta shrugged his shoulders.  
“One more, one less, where’s the difference? It’s not like I plan to show them to anyone, except Soo and Myeon” he commented shortly and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I’m here too” he observed and Beta’s stare when immediately to Chanyeol.  
“I tried to shoo you away” he started, shifting his stare on his own fingers and arms.  
There was something that Beta wanted to tell him but was struggling with.  
“Still, I’m sorry about what you are witnessing. Especially because it’s nothing particularly great to see” he added and Chanyeol had the sensation that Beta seemed somehow smaller than usual.  
He wanted to comment that there wasn’t anything to feel ashamed or embarrassed of, but the doorbell rang.  
Beta immediately took his gun from where he put also the jacket, but Chanyeol calmed him down.  
“Probably is Sehun. He said that he was coming here” he said softly and Beta nodded, still gripping on the stock of the gun.  
“Still, I’ll come with you” he added and sat up, going until the entryway and checking that everything was fine.  
It was Sehun after all, and Beta relaxed shortly.  
“Oh gosh, is that blood?” Sehun asked when he saw Beta and he nodded briefly.  
“Sorry for the mess, nothing serious, don’t worry” he tried to say but Chanyeol sighed making his sentence invalid and Sehun’s stare worried.  
“Do you want me to help?” he asked shrugging his shoulders and Beta arched his eyebrow.  
“I don’t think you are…” he started, wary but Sehun laughed shortly.  
“Yeol didn’t tell you? I’m a medical doctor at my parents’ hospital” he explained and Chanyeol nodded proving his point.  
Beta was perplexed but in that exact moment the bell rang again.  
“You waited for other visits?” Sehun asked and Beta gripped harder again on the gun.  
“Soo. I suppose you never met him, but he’s too early. Get away from the door” he stated voice almost a whisper and nearing the door.  
There wasn’t any noise from the outside.  
Beta picked up the intercom.  
“Who’s there?” he asked without any reply.  
He closed the call and waited in position.  
They waited in silence for almost ten minutes and then the doorbell rang again, making Chanyeol and Sehun jump at the sound.  
Beta picked it up.  
“I’m here, Baek. Open up so we fix this quickly” Kyungsoo’s voice replied shortly and Beta sighed shortly too, relieving a bit of stress.  
Once Kyungsoo was inside, he closed again the door with the lock.  
Kyungsoo’s stare went immediately on Beta’s wound.  
“You idiot. Who shot you like this? Was he an amateur? I can’t believe that you let someone shoot you” he asked checking the borders of the wound.  
“Actually, he was pretty good. But the jacket saved me” Beta replied, smiling all proud but Kyungsoo sighed.  
“Sure, the jacket” he concluded and when he rose up his stare to ask Chanyeol where they could go to fix it, he met Sehun’s stare on him.  
“Sehunnie?” he asked perplexed and Chanyeol exchanged an astonished stare with Beta.  
“You know each other?” Chanyeol asked and Sehun nodded shortly.  
“Sometimes I work part-time at Jongin’s” Sehun explained and Kyungsoo nodded.  
“And he’s an excellent doctor” he added, smiling briefly.  
“This is nice and all, guys, but can we speak about this later? It kind of hurts…” Beta interjected and Kyungsoo sighed.  
“You’re right too. Come on, show me where you took away the bullet” he asked him, leaving Chanyeol and Sehun in the living room.  
Chanyeol sighed, making Sehun flinch.  
“It was the first time that you saw so much blood, right?” Sehun asked him and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
“I had the worst sensation in the world, Sehun. I feared the worst” he started but Sehun shook his head, patting his shoulder.  
“Well, it would be different since you don’t have such a good relationship with Baek, right?” he demanded but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Our relationship evolved. He’s not that bad, you were right” he replied softly even though the only idea of losing Beta in that moment was unconceivable.  
Sehun stared at him interested.  
“Is there something that you want to tell me, Yeol?” he asked him, smiling and Chanyeol shook his head.  
“No? Why?” he asked but Sehun snorted.  
“Sure, maybe not now? Let’s wait until you will start feeling soft for the man?” he asked and Chanyeol blushed immediately making Sehun laugh.  
“Oh, oh. We are already at that point?” he continued and Chanyeol huffed.  
“Will you cut the tease?” he whispered and Sehun patted his shoulder.  
“That’s so cute, Yeol” he ended, avoiding the soft punch that Chanyeol throw at him.  
“He’s cute. And I don’t even know what to say or do?” he muttered shortly and Sehun patted him again.  
Chanyeol wasn’t stupid and he didn’t need a genius to know that the sides that Beta showed him, especially in the last period, moved something inside him and it wasn’t only affection.  
The night before was the undeniable proof for Chanyeol that he was somehow sentimentally invested in Beta.  
Even though, it was impossible.  
And the man surely didn’t feel anything for him.  
He sighed shortly and Sehun wanted to say something to him, but from the corridor Beta and Kyungsoo reemerged.  
“You should make it rest, Baek” Kyungsoo was saying and Beta nodded, sighing.  
“And don’t tell anyone about it. Especially Mr. Park” he continued and Chanyeol raised his eyebrow, while Beta nodded, serious.  
“Now I have to go to work, but I’ll come tonight to check it up. If you don’t have any other plan, I can order take out and try inviting also Dae?” he offered, tired smile appearing on his lips, and Beta was already replying when Chanyeol did it in his sake.  
“Sure, it would be great!” he exclaimed and Kyungsoo nodded shortly.  
“Propose it also to Seok, maybe he wants to tag along?” he added before greeting them and going away.  
Sehun nodded shortly, already excited.  
“I have to prepare some things for tonight then. I’ll come back later!” he said immediately fleeting the scene, and Chanyeol sighed shortly.  
They remained alone and Chanyeol stared at Beta that in his informal clothes seemed to be younger and smaller than usual.  
He wore a bluish t-shirt, and black sweatpants.  
Cute was indeed the only words that kept repeating in Chanyeol’s mind.  
“How is it?” Chanyeol asked shortly and Beta hummed.  
“It tickles a bit, but Soo’s good in suturing my wounds. He’s the only one that can do it. Myeon always visit me a while after, not in the immediate” he replied, making a move toward the kitchen but staggering a bit.  
Chanyeol sustained him, immediately.  
Beta’s arm skin was strangely soft seeing the work he did, and he smelled like flowers.  
“Hey you okay?” Chanyeol asked but Beta leant his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, making his heart flutter and racing at full speed.  
He hoped that Beta wasn’t hearing it.  
“Give me a sec. I think it’s the blood pressure” he whispered, voice feeble and breath uneven.  
“Can I do something?” he asked again but Beta shook his head, still leaning to Chanyeol.  
They stayed there in silence for a while, Chanyeol enjoying the presence of Beta leaning on him and his hand on Beta’s side, sustaining him.  
He was warm under his hands and his scent was mixed with other perfume and scents, not only flowery.  
“Do you want me to cook you something?” Chanyeol whispered near his ear and making him flinch in surprise.  
“Cook? Can you even cook something that’s edible?” he murmured back, without distancing himself from Chanyeol.  
“You are not so bad if still manage this sassy reply” he commented hiding a chuckle and Beta snorted briefly.  
“Sorry, I’m just trying to regain a bit of balance. The bed you gave me is too comfortable. This morning I never wanted to leave. I already miss it so much” he whispered and Chanyeol felt his heart squeeze softly.  
Beta was too cute in that moment and Chanyeol wanted to hug him and protect him from the world.  
“Do you want to go sleep a bit?” he asked again, obtaining a soft hum as reply.  
“No, better if I eat something before. And I need water” he murmured finally distancing himself from Chanyeol and slowly moving toward the kitchen.  
Chanyeol went with him and once in the room, he asked Beta once again if he wanted something to eat.  
“If you insist so much, show me your Master Chief’s skill” he commented making Chanyeol snort in reply.  
“I’ll cook something so good you can’t even imagine” he ended up, giving him a bottle of water in the meantime.  
Beta hummed and thanked him for the bottle, watching him messing around with the pans and rice cooker.  
After half an hour of mistakes and cooking, something came up.  
“You sure it’s edible and I won’t end up having food poisoning?” he asked and Chanyeol grimaced toward him.  
“Okay I’ll eat” he concluded, starting to eat slowly, almost wary.  
But after the first bites, he ended up eating everything.  
“It was good, Chanyeol, thanks” he commented in the end and Chanyeol smiled.  
“So now, sleep” he added immediately but Beta shook his head.  
“You want me dead? I can’t go sleep immediately after eating” he rejected the idea and Chanyeol sighed.  
“Couch then? We can sit and watch something so that you can’t fell asleep but it will be more comfortable that being sit here?” he proposed and Beta seemed to think about it.  
“Fine” he concluded sitting up and following Chanyeol in the living room.  
Chanyeol switched on the television, browsing through Netflix something to see and Beta sat on the couch, giving his suggestion.  
They decided for Justice League movie.  
They sat together at an appropriate distance and, neither fifteen minutes after that the movie started, Beta was dozing off.  
Chanyeol didn’t realized it immediately but only when Beta’s head leant on his shoulder and he can feel him snoring evenly.  
He smiled softly, taking a blanket from the side of the couch and drawn it on Beta, covering him up.  
Sehun’s was right.  
He was already in the phase after the softness.  
He totally realized his feeling for Beta and didn’t know what to do with them.  
But he still had a bit of time before they became too obvious to be hidden.  
  
  
Chanyeol doze off too, and when he woke up the blanket was on him and Beta wasn't at his side anymore.  
He heard some voices coming from the kitchen, so he sat up, going to check out what was happening.  
Beta was leaning on the counter, fluffiest like Chanyeol never saw him, and he was speaking with Jondae.  
"It still was ages since last time" Jondae was saying but Beta's stare went to Chanyeol that was near the door.  
"You're up. How are you feeling?" he asked him and Chanyeol shook shortly his head.  
"It should be my question, not yours. Nobody shot me today" he commented making Beta smiled softly.  
"It's better, thanks" he replied briefly, shortly tapping on his injured shoulder, and Jondae shook his head.  
"At least you tested the jacket?" he pointed out making Beta snort.  
"Soo wasn't so glad about it, actually" Beta added but Jondae shook his head.  
"Because he's too serious. And doesn't appreciate our jointed forces" he explained, high fiving Beta.  
Chanyeol was perplexed.  
"It was your invention?" he asked and Jondae nodded.  
"When we are free, we patent stupid inventions. Usually they are not useful at all but sometimes they are good? And B tests them for us" he replied shortly, winking toward Beta that snorted again.  
“Sometimes they’re really stupid things, but other times they are pretty useful, after all” he explained smiling toward the other two that smiled widely.  
There was a small silence and then Beta’s stare went to Chanyeol again.  
“Soo called few minutes ago. He will be here in ten and bring along fried chicken and beers. Is that fine for you?” he asked as if he was apologizing for something.  
Chanyeol smiled before nodding in consent.  
“Did you hear anything from Sehun?” he then asked fishing his phone from his jeans, but Beta shook his head.  
“Not yet” he commented, and Chanyeol tapped on the screen, calling Sehun.  
He waited an instant and then Sehun replied.  
“Yeol? I’m almost there! I find some traffic on the highway there. I brought also Mario Kart” he said even before Chanyeol could ask him anything.  
“Roger, we wait for you then” he concluded, hanging up and staring perplexed at the device.  
“Mario Kart?” he whispered and Jondae almost squealed.  
“It’s since boarding school that we don’t play Mario Kart together!” he exclaimed excited and Beta huffed shortly even though on his lips there was a soft smile.  
“It will be a nice moment to reaffirm my supremacy” Jondae added making Beta laughing.  
“Sure, sure. Especially seeing that last time Soo kicked your ass in every match” Beta commented, smiling shortly before the doorbell rang.  
Beta stiffened, hand immediately moving toward the gun, but Jondae patted shortly on his non-injured shoulder.  
“Probably it’s Soo” he whispered trying to tranquilize him and Beta nodded, going to check on the door.  
And it wasn’t only Kyungsoo but there was also Sehun.  
They went in the living room where there was also Chanyeol and Jondae that moved to welcome them.  
“How are you feeling?” Kyungsoo and Sehun asked in the meantime, making Beta smiling softly.  
“Better than other times, thank you” he replied and Kyungsoo’s stare scanned his being before arching his eyebrow.  
“Did you sleep this afternoon?” he asked shortly, voice enquiring and interested.  
“Yeah, on the couch. Why?” Beta demanded back, shrugging his shoulders and Kyungsoo smiled shortly.  
“With Mr. Park?” he asked again, making Chanyeol flinch and a faint blush appear on Beta’s cheeks.  
He wanted to reply but Kyungsoo stopped him with his hand.  
“Here. Your hair is stuck like when you sleep leaning on someone and Sehun came in right now like me, so the only person was Mr. Park” he explained, pointing a certain area of his hair.  
Beta’s hands went immediately to it, trying to straighten them down.  
“Would it be a problem?” Beta whispered and Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in surprise.  
“No problem at all” he replied neutrally but Chanyeol clearly see the questions passing in Kyungsoo’s mind in that moment.  
“Let’s go eat before the chicken get cold” he added heading toward the kitchen followed by the others.  
They ate together, mainly joking around and Chanyeol felt part of an old group of friends like he didn’t feel in a while.  
Every joke or comment was light and he enjoyed himself much more than he could expected.  
But what made him especially happy, was seeing other different sides of Beta.  
Ones that were even more appealing of the ones he saw until that moment.  
He was relaxed around his friends and all the walls he built during the years, magically went down, revealing his young self, more suitable for his own age.  
The part that like to joke around, that had passions and that hated to lose at Mario Kart.  
The part that showed affection toward Jondae and Kyungsoo not only with words but also with small gestures made of soft touches and smiles.  
And if Chanyeol before wasn’t completely sure if he was in love with Beta, in that moment he was certain about it.  
He wanted to protect him and to hug him tight and whispering in his ear that everything would be fine.  
Even not considering the initial physical interest, he wanted to keep Beta for him and for him only.  
  
  
That night, after everyone else went home, they remained alone.  
“Thanks for accepting my friends here, Chanyeol” Beta whispered smiling softly, even if it was clear that he was dead tired.  
“After tonight, I’ll dare to say that they are also my friend?” he asked smiling and Beta smiled once again.  
“Sure, they like you pretty much” he commented, pressing shortly on his shoulder and hissing.  
“Does it hurt you? Do you want some painkillers?” Chanyeol demanded, nearing him and gently stroking the shoulder.  
Beta sighed briefly.  
“No, I should have something in my bag” he replied shortly making his way to the guests’ room.  
Chanyeol followed him.  
“Do you need a help washing the sink?” he asked again but Beta shook his head, searching in his bag for something undefined.  
“Soo cleaned it for me this afternoon while we were waiting for the stiches to settle correctly” he added finally finding a small white bag.  
When he took it out, from the bag a lilac envelope slid off, landing near Chanyeol’s feet.  
He took it, recognizing immediately his mother’s writing.  
“What…?” he started but Beta’s eyes widened in surprise.  
“Please, give it back” he whispered, worried, forgetting of the painkillers and whatever else, moving his hand toward Chanyeol.  
He gave it back, but the question was on his lips.  
“Is that from my mother?” he asked, voice perplexed, and several questions present in his head.  
Beta’s stare went down to his bag before he could nod briefly.  
Chanyeol was astonished.  
Why his mother wrote a letter, or maybe more, to Beta?  
And how recent was that letter?  
There were others?  
What about the content?  
“Why…?” he started but Beta shook his head.  
“Can we please not speak about this?” he asked immediately and Chanyeol’s eyes went wider.  
“If it was from my mother I think I have the right to know…” he commented but Beta shook his head again.  
“It was a personal thing between me and her. No one knows about it. Neither boss” he stopped him, but Chanyeol shook his head too.  
“Personal? How much personal?” he asked again, nearing Beta that gripped harder on the small bag.  
“Chanyeol, there’s a lot of things that you don’t know. About me, about your own family” he started, voice barely audible and Chanyeol wanted to ask him to explain but he raised his hand, making him shut up.  
“However, it’s better for you to ignore them. You still need to remain the way you are. Don’t let anyone, including me, change your world, tainting you and your carefree attitude” he whispered and in his stare there was so much sadness that Chanyeol couldn’t restraint himself and rose up his hand to caress Beta’s cheek softly.  
His eyes widened in surprise but didn’t move of an inch.  
“Don’t force me outside your world, Baekhyun. I’m not as fragile as you think” he commented shortly, thumb brushing gently Beta’s cheek.  
“I can’t share this with you, Chanyeol. Not now” he answered, raising his hand, fingers trembling and slightly brushing the back of Chanyeol’s hand.  
“What do you mean?” he enquired but Beta shook his head, closing his eyes.  
“Give me some more weeks. I’m almost there, finally. When everything will be over, I’ll tell you everything” he whispered, hand squeezing Chanyeol’s hand and leaning in to the contact with it.  
Chanyeol raised his eyebrow.  
What did Beta mean with that?  
And more weeks for what exactly?  
“Please, I’m asking you to trust me” Beta added, opening his eyes and sustain Chanyeol’s stare in his.  
Chanyeol nodded.  
He didn’t even know what they were talking about and what it was this secret so personal between Beta and his mother that couldn’t be revealed.  
However, he nodded, putting his trust in a man that could potentially kill him every time.  
“You will explain after whatever you are waiting for to happen?” he asked briefly and Beta nodded.  
“I’ll tell you everything, I promise” he whispered, sighing deeply and Chanyeol inhaled sharply, trying to relax himself a bit.  
“Fine. You promised” he concluded, peremptory, and Beta hummed, nodding in consent.  
“I imagine you’re tired” Chanyeol murmured, reluctantly distancing himself from Beta.  
Beta hummed again and Chanyeol was almost on the door when Beta called him back.  
“Chanyeol…” he called him, briefly, and he turned to him.  
“I’m sorry. Really… And thank you for trusting me, even when I’m not giving you any…” he started to say, but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“You are not only my guard, Baek. And I entrust you more than my own life” he murmured before exiting and going to his room.  
Beta was clearly hiding more than a simple letter from his mother.  
Still, Chanyeol decided to trust him.  
Even though there was still a lot of things that he didn’t know about him.  
  
  
It was few days later and they were both in the main mansion, Beta speaking privately with his father and Chanyeol waiting for him wandering around the old house.  
He was walking down the first-floor offices corridor when he heard Choi’s voice, a former body guard he had, speaking with a younger voice.  
“We can’t trust Beta anymore. It’s clear that he’s planning something against Mr. Park. I don’t know how Mr. Park doesn’t notice about it having ill intents” he said and the other huffed shortly.  
“Because Beta is great with words and Mr. Park’s favorite since forever” he commented but Choi was fast to dissent.  
“Maybe the contrary you would say. Mr. Park send him away exactly because he didn’t want him between his affairs and he took him in again just because one like him is better on our team than against us” he explained and the young voice was shocked.  
“Are you kidding me? So why Mr. Park doesn’t’ ask some eraser to take him off?” he asked directly, making Chanyeol stiffen at the idea.  
“Because he’s still his best eraser. And only Beta would be able to face himself. Still, I’m sure that he’s planning to kill Mr. Park in the near future” he concluded and Chanyeol raised his eyebrow.  
The younger voice put into words his own thoughts.  
“Why should Beta want to kill Mr. Park?”.  
Choi sighed.  
“Maybe to take it over Park Family. What else?” he asked but Chanyeol knew that wasn’t the case.  
Beta wasn’t interested in the slightest in Park Family.  
So, there must be another reason.  
He made is way down again, going where he had to meet with Beta and he was almost entering the room when he heard him speaking with Kyungsoo.  
“He wants to kill you, Baek!” Kyungsoo hissed, making Beta laugh shortly.  
“As if I didn’t know already, Soo. Don’t worry, I’m being careful enough” he commented but Kyungsoo was clearly worried.  
“Even the other day, he gave you the wrong information exactly for this reason…” he started, making Chanyeol frown.  
Why his father wanted to kill Beta?  
Because he suspected that Beta himself wanted to kill him?  
“Soo, I know. But you’re worrying too much. He won’t kill me” Beta interrupted him, trying to relax him but the man was distressed.  
“What if he knew about Mrs. Park?” he asked then and a pregnant silence followed.  
“It can’t be possible, Soo. There’s only four people that share that secret and you know all of them. You are overthinking right now” he commented even if his tone was worried.  
They both sighed deeply and Chanyeol was even more curious.  
What about his mother now?  
What other things were there to know that they were hiding him?  
  
  
Chanyeol continued to ask himself all those questions but he had some replies only on an early summer night.  
The others went home and he and Beta were a bit tipsy, sitting on the couch.  
With Beta things were steadier, even if Chanyeol noticed that recently Beta started to be touchy also with Chanyeol, like he did with his friends.  
“You know, there’s a lot of things that I need to tell you…” Beta started softly, leaning his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder.  
They remained like that for a while before Beta sighed shortly.  
“But I think that there’s one that I hid for too much time already” he whispered, turning his face to stare at Chanyeol.  
He sustained his stare, waiting.  
“And it’s the only one that should matter in the end” he added and Chanyeol gaze at him perplexed but Beta’s leant in, placing a kiss on his lips.  
Chanyeol gasped, but quickly pressed in.  
Beta’s lips were plush and tasted like barbeque and beer.  
He caressed his hair slowly pulling him in and Beta sighed in the kiss, prolonging the contact.  
Beta moved his fingers, caressing Chanyeol’s cheeks and neck making him shiver.  
“Chanyeol” he whispered, voicing trembling colored with want.  
Chanyeol slightly bit his lips, making him gasp and gaining access to his mouth, licking his way through.  
Beta hummed in consent, pushing him, indulging in the sensation.  
He shifted slowly, moving over Chanyeol and sitting on his laps, fingers threading in his hair.  
Chanyeol’s hands went immediately to his sides, caressing him and pulling him closer.  
“Baek, wait…” he whispered between the kisses and Beta’s stare was immediately on his, glassy and impatient.  
“Is it okay? Don’t you want it too?” Beta asked him and Chanyeol nodded.  
“So, don’t ask. We can talk about it tomorrow” he replied, moving his waist and making their erection brush together, earning a low groan from Chanyeol.  
“Fine” he whispered, caressing Beta’s neck and softly biting it.  
Beta moaned slightly, repeating the motion and feeling Chanyeol against him.  
Chanyeol’s hands swiftly move under Beta’s shirt, caressing his torso and back, while sucking red and purple hickeys on his skin.  
Chanyeol groaned again when Beta’s pulled it off, revealing his torso, completely at Chanyeol’s disposal.  
“Won’t we go to the bedroom?” Chanyeol proposed and Beta nodded, raising up from Chanyeol’s laps and guiding him directly to guests’ bedroom.  
“Why not…?” Chanyeol started asking but Beta pushed him on the bed, smirking.  
“You will thank me, later” he shut him up, sitting again in Chanyeol’s laps.  
Chanyeol smiled softly.  
“Aren’t you still wearing to many clothes?” Beta asked him, starting to unbutton Chanyeol’s shirt, making him laugh and help him.  
“I could say the same for you?” he asked, shortly pulling his trousers and Beta nodded, before sitting up and removing them, retrieving also condom and lube.  
“Do you have any preferences?” he murmured, helping Chanyeol removing also his jeans and he shook his head, smiling.  
“Perfect” Beta concluded, starting to kiss Chanyeol, slowly descending to his neck.  
Chanyeol’s hand started roaming on Beta’s body, starting from his neck and descending to his torso, nipples and travelling south, making Beta moan softly.  
Chanyeol took the chance to shift them, pining Beta on the bed.  
He smiled beautifully, cheeks red and eyes even more glassy and blown than before.  
“How do you want me, Chanyeol?” he asked softly and Chanyeol blushed shortly, kissing his hipbones and pulling down his boxer, revealing his erection.  
“How do you know that I wanted you?” he asked back, pouring a generous amount of lube on his fingers and starting to tease Beta’s entrance.  
He groaned briefly before pulling off another smirk.  
“It was crystal clear that you were attracted, if you want to know it” he whispered, biting his lips, flinching at the contact with the coldness of the lube.  
Chanyeol smiled, slowly inserting one finger inside him and watching him arching a bit his back, groaning and stretching around him.  
He waited briefly before starting to move, pulling in and out, stretching him before adding another digit.  
Beta hummed shortly, getting used to the sensation and following Chanyeol’s movements inside him, setting a pace to them.  
“Chanyeol…” he whimpered when Chanyeol inserted another finger, angling them and brushing on his prostate.  
“Please, can’t we go further?” he asked biting shortly his lips and Chanyeol nodded, taking slowly out his fingers, making Beta hissing, before putting on the condom.  
“How do you…?” he started asking but Beta shook his head.  
“This way is fine” he cut him off immediately, stretching his arms around Chanyeol’s neck and pulling him down for a brief kiss.  
“Are you…?” Chanyeol tried again but Beta smiled.  
“Could you please take me, Chanyeol?” he asked and Chanyeol nodded, pushing in slowly and when he found less resistance than expected he pushed in one thrust, making Beta arching his back and their body adhere to each other.  
“Baek” he whispered in his ear, trying not to move inside him yet, even though the sensation was telling him to.  
Beta was so tight and hot and he just wanted to thrust inside him.  
“You are so big, Chanyeol” he murmured back, caressing his hair and Chanyeol smiled softly.  
“You can move, if you want” Beta added and Chanyeol didn’t make him repeat himself.  
He started to move inside him, initially slowly, starting to settle the pace and being careful of Beta’s reactions, kissing his neck.  
When he found the perfect angle, Beta’s hands gripped harder on his back, probably leaving traces but Chanyeol didn’t mind in that moment.  
He could feel that warm feeling starting to pool in his stomach and making him moving faster inside Beta, hand reaching for his erection, starting to stroke it and matching his pace inside him.  
“Chanyeol, please, more” he moaned, throwing his head back and clenching around Chanyeol.  
“Baek…” he started shortly catching his breath.  
“Baekhyun, please come with me” he whispered, groaning at the sensations and feeling Beta whimpering, releasing his orgasm in Chanyeol’s hand, arching his back.  
Chanyeol came too with the sensation of Beta’s squeezing him through all of his orgasm.  
He felt spent and after placing a small kiss on Beta’s lips, he exited making him hiss shortly.  
“I’m dead tired” he whispered shortly, breath coming unevenly, and Beta nodded shortly, getting near him and snuggling in his torso.  
Chanyeol smiled softly.  
“At least we can shower?” he asked and Chanyeol nodded.  
It was fast because both of them just wanted to go to bed as soon as possible.  
And once there, Beta snuggled again on Chanyeol.  
“If it’s not clear enough, I love you Chanyeol” he whispered and Chanyeol’s heart clenched in happiness.  
“I love you too, but I want to ask you about…” he started but Beta’s raised a finger to his lips.  
“Tomorrow. Whatever you want to ask, tomorrow. I’m too sleepy right now” he concluded and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
He was so tired too, but he couldn’t be happier.  
He didn’t know how exactly they arrived at that point, or how they ended up having sex and confessing to each other, but he was glad about it.  
In less than five minutes, he was asleep.  
  
  
The morning after, he woke up and Beta wasn’t beside him.  
He hummed shortly, rising up and putting up something, before going to the kitchen finding it empty.  
On the table there was a lilac sheet and a pack of equally lilac letters.  
He took the sheet in his hands and read it.  
  
Dear Chanyeol,  
Tonight was beautiful. I’m happy from the bottom of my heart to have had a possibility like this.  
I thought it wasn’t possible, but things went for the better, and at least for once I was able to feel wholly connected with you.  
I don’t think we will see each other anymore because I’m going to do what I came back for.  
I returned from the boarding school only because of this and, even supposing I’ll be still alive after this, you will not consider me the same anymore.  
I leave you one of my dearest treasure: your mother’s letters.  
If you will read them, you will understand everything.  
And if you ever ask yourself, I loved you from the first time we met until today.  
You were, and still are in this moment, the only person that give me the strength to do what I did.  
Please, forgive me if you can.  
  
With love,  
Baekhyun  
  
  
Chanyeol stared at the sheet unable to process effectively the words written.  
Why he and Beta wouldn’t meet anymore in the future?  
And what was so urgent and so dangerous that he would ever doubt in coming back alive?  
That pack of lilac letters were from his mother?  
They were addressed to Beta?  
He picked up one and opened it.  
  
  
Dear Baekhyun,  
How are you days going to the boarding school?  
Are you enjoying your life with your friends?  
I know that my husband didn’t give his consent to make you come back for Christmas and neither for New Year.  
I’m sorry and afraid that, as I previously wrote you, he’s planning something with my son.  
He’s raising him pampered like a prince but in the meantime like he doesn’t exist.  
He’s also planning on convincing him that you two never met and that you never promised him to protect him forever.  
As if this is not sufficient, I suspect also that he doesn’t want me to know all of this and he’s trying to take me out of all Family affairs.  
I miss you so much and I hope I’ll manage to convince him to let you come back maybe later on in the Year.  
Thanks for always writing me back.  
  
With affection,  
Your zealous supporter  
  
  
Chanyeol raised his eyebrow and picked up another one, more perplexed than before.  
  
  
Dear Baekhyun,  
It was ages since I wrote you something but now I can certainly tell you that my husband is poisoning me.  
As you suspected, he’s doing it through the things he forces me to take because my “illness” is getting worse.  
I don’t understand why he’s doing it.  
With all the hitmen he has, why bothering on poising me?  
But as you said before, he can’t play the victim otherwise.  
Apart from my health, I’m worried about Chanyeol.  
He is getting unruly and ditches classes on regular basis.  
All the guards that my husband assign him last only for few days or at maximum a week.  
He won’t listen to me either, telling me that I’m old and have only to worry about my health.  
I don’t know what to do anymore, Baekhyun, and I just would like to see you once again and hug you because I’m sure that you are suffering too, over there so far from home and from your friends.  
All my requests got unheard, but I’ll keep asking him to let you home even also for a weekend.  
Hope you are doing well and that life is not too hard on you.  
  
With love,  
Your zealous supporter  
  
  
Chanyeol more than perplexed, he was shocked.  
His father poisoned his mother?  
Why?  
He took another letter that seemed the one that was more ruined, still readable but with some stains that could be tears.  
The calligraphy was harder to read and it seemed that it was written by a shaking hand.  
  
  
Dear Baekhyun,  
This is probably the last letter I will send you.  
My health got so bad that the doctor gave me hours more than days.  
Please, I beg you, please take care of my son.  
I don’t care about what will happen to me today or tomorrow, because I’m sure that the end is near.  
I just ask you to take care of him, because he’s precious and soft hearted and he’s not fit for the world related to this Family.  
I think my husband realized it too and I’m scared that he will use him as he used me and then get rid of him when he won’t be useful anymore.  
I know you care about Chanyeol as your dearest friend, so please, protect him from this family and from his father.  
Whatever they will tell you, Baekhyun, Chanyeol cares about you too.  
I loved you like my own son and I’m guilty of letting my husband mistreating like he did in all these years.  
Please may heavens have mercy on my soul.  
  
With eternal love and gratitude,  
Your zealous supporter  
  
  
Chanyeol’s hands were trembling while he was reading the last sentences of the letter.  
Beta returned to protect Chanyeol and kill his father.  
Chanyeol sat on the chair, hand carding in his hair.  
What would it be right to do, in that moment?  
He knew which was the truth but could he stop Beta?  
Or it was already too late?  
He was still thinking about it, when his phone rang and Lee’s ID appeared on the screen.  
Lee was one of the younger guard his father hired few months ago.  
“Mr. Park, sorry to call you so early in the morning, but there was a massacre at Park Mansion!” he exclaimed and Chanyeol pulled his fingers in his hair messing them up.  
“What happened exactly?” he asked and Lee stumbled with his words.  
“Breath and retry” he continued, trying to ease the guard.  
There was a silence and then Lee spoke again.  
“They were holding a meeting. Mr. Park with his trusted guards and we heard some shots. We think that Beta killed your father and all the guards that were there” he explained, making Chanyeol flinch at the idea.  
“You think or are you sure? Where is my father? And Beta?” he replied, clicking his tongue, mind wandering to every possible scenario.  
“We are positive that your father and all the guards were killed, sir. And regarding Beta, surely he was injured but we didn’t find him” he added and Chanyeol sighed deeply.  
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes” he concluded, hanging up the call.  
In the same moment he dropped his phone on the table, he rang again.  
Kyungsoo’s ID appeared on the screen.  
“Chanyeol? Are you safe? Baek is there with you?” he asked immediately when Chanyeol replied.  
“I’m at home, but Baek is not with me. I think he…” he started but Kyungsoo sighed on the other end of the phone.  
“That idiot! Where in the world he went?” he started saying, stopping shortly to reconsider his words.  
“I’m sorry about your loss, Chanyeol. It was ages since Baek was planning all of this. Even though he realized it too early” he added and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“He wrote me a letter. He said that he wasn’t sure to come back alive” he commented shortly and Kyungsoo panicked.  
“He what? It means that he left you also Mrs. Park’s letters?” he asked and when Chanyeol answered positively, Kyungsoo sighed again.  
“I can’t believe it. He wasn’t in himself, that must be the reason” he continued and Chanyeol sighed this time.  
“Something happened yesterday?” he asked and Chanyeol hummed shortly, cringing at the memories of the past night.  
“He told me he loves me” he answered, letting alone the fact that they had sex.  
Kyungsoo almost choked.  
“He did? He was definitely out of his mind. Chanyeol, now I have to go. They are calling me on the other line because of all this, but we will see at Park mansion later” he concluded hanging up and leaving Chanyeol even more perplexed.  
Strangely, he didn’t feel sad for his father death.  
Maybe it was because they didn’t have a good relationship to start with.  
Or maybe for the letters that Beta left him.  
However, there were only two things to do: taking the leading role in Park Family and finding Beta, if he was still alive.  
  
  
For Chanyeol started like this a period where the amount of responsibility he had, was way greater than he expected.  
He had to take the place of his father, managing all his affairs and if he somehow got through it, it was only thanks to Kyungsoo that gave him the right advice and suggestions.  
He changed completely all the ideas behind his father works, bringing also more legality inside Park family.  
Chanyeol kept asking Kyungsoo if he had any news about Beta and also send his guards and agents around, without having any luck.  
Beta was missing.  
Kyungsoo even arrived at avoiding his questions on Beta being alive.  
It was a grey evening, rain was pouring down in buckets and Chanyeol was tired of sitting on his desk all day.  
He was thinking about how much he felt the loss of Beta’s presence.  
He missed him, laughing with him and drinking together.  
Suddenly he remembered Jondae’s night and decided to drive over there.  
He didn’t have a bodyguard anymore, but on Kyungsoo’s insistences, he always had a gun with him.  
Not that he was even able to shoot properly, however he couldn’t refuse the lawyer.  
When he arrived at the night, Jondae seemed perplexed to see him.  
“Chanyeol, fancy seeing you here” he greeted and Chanyeol only nodded ordering something.  
“I needed to take a break” he whispered and Jondae hummed in thought.  
“Having to succeed to your father must be difficult” he commented, shaking Chanyeol’s drink.  
Chanyeol sighed deeply, brushing his hair with his fingers.  
“Sure, especially when you never thought about it and you don’t even know where to start” he added sighing again and Jondae poured the drink in the glass, giving it to him.  
“Obviously not considering what happened with Baek…” Chanyeol whispered, thanking Jondae for the glass and staring at the droplets dripping along the glass side.  
“Speaking of B, I have something for you” Jondae said, like remembering something suddenly.  
Chanyeol raised his stare on the man who brought up from behind the counter a lilac letter, with Beta’s calligraphy on it.  
“He left it here few days ago. He was pretty tired but I suppose that’s normal since what happened and how injured he was” Jondae explained and Chanyeol’s stare drifted from the letter to Jondae’s face and vice versa, twice, before he could pull together a sentence.  
“I didn’t even know he was alive” he commented, fingers trembling, brushing the letter and opening it slowly.  
  
  
Dear Chanyeol,  
I’m sorry for running away that day, but as you probably know by now, work must be done.  
I hope you read your mother’s letters.  
When I understood that boss wanted to “take care” of you as he did with his wife, I couldn’t wait anymore.  
Your security and protection were the only things I could think about.  
I needed to act before I thought, even sacrificing what we had until that moment.  
Even if this meant convincing you to have sex with me without any other explanation if not a mere “I’ll explain you” that I never was able to grant.  
I’m sorry also that I couldn’t find the right words to tell you how much I missed you every single moment of my life before returning here and asking boss the task of protecting you.  
That day, when we were kids and you gave me sweets, you told me that the only one you would ever entrust your life with was me.  
And also your mother entrusted it to me.  
I had to protect you from whoever wanted to harm you, Chanyeol, because I couldn’t act any differently.  
I hope you are doing fine and now Park Family will have a new, stable and proper leader.  
I’m not dead yet, I suppose, and maybe one day if it will be fate, we will meet again.  
Bless the new head of Park Family.  
  
Baekhyun  
  
  
Chanyeol was perplexed from the letter.  
He was glad to know that Beta was still alive, but he didn’t get the sense in leaving that letter to Jondae.  
There wasn’t anything particularly new in it.  
So, why?  
“When did he leave it to you?” he asked Jondae, who mumbled in thought.  
“Maybe last week? He came here with Sehun” he replied and Chanyeol raised his eyebrow.  
Sehun didn’t tell him anything about meeting with Beta.  
Why was he hiding it?  
And why Beta wasn’t hiding from anyone except Chanyeol?  
He feared that Chanyeol wanted to accuse him about his father’s death or what other reason?  
“Jondae, can you arrange me a meeting with him?” he asked shortly and Jondae was perplexed.  
“It’s not like he comes on daily basis, but if you want I can call him and tell him I need to speak with him” he proposed and Chanyeol added.  
“It would be perfect, thank you” he commented and Jondae shook his head.  
“Just promise me two things” he stated seriously, making Chanyeol frown.  
“First, you won’t hurt him. Nor physically nor emotionally” he started and Chanyeol sighed.  
“I don’t know how much you know, Jondae, but I’m in love with Baekhyun and I don’t know what he thinks, but I don’t give a fuck about him killing my father” he explained shortly, carding his fingers through his hair, tired and exhausted.  
Jondae nodded shortly.  
“I imagined it… And secondly, don’t argue in my club” he concluded making Chanyeol snort.  
“We won’t” he assured and Jondae sighed.  
“B really cares about you, Chanyeol. In boarding school, he kept talking about you and how you were his friend and when he knew from your mother that they convinced you that no other kid lived with you when you were younger, erasing all the memories you had of B himself, he felt like dying. I’ve never seen him so down and depressed. And coming back here had his pro and cons, especially in having you around. So, if you want to meet him again, it’s fine. Just don’t hurt him more than life already had” Jondae explained, voice soft and sad smile on his lips.  
Chanyeol smiled shortly too.  
“As he wants only my well-being, the same I want for him” he replied promptly, making Jondae nod.  
“I’ll call you back when I settle the appointment with B” he concluded and Chanyeol nodded leaving him his phone number.  
Something was somehow moving, even though he didn’t understand why Beta felt the need to leave a message to Jondae for him.  
He called Sehun, wanting to ask some explanations.  
“Yeol? You okay?” he replied at the call and Chanyeol immediately reassured his friend.  
“I went to Jondae’s night, earlier. He told me you went there with Baek” he said, going straight to the point.  
“Oh, you finally went? I was right” he replied, making Chanyeol frown.  
He wanted to ask him what he wanted to say, but Sehun spoke again.  
“I met Baek at the hospital rear exit the day of your father’s assassination. He needed some medicines and other things. I helped him out and called Kyungsoo to bring him home. Baek was pretty injured and needed rest before anything else. Kyungsoo was worried and I think he brought Baek home with him” he started explaining and Chanyeol sat in his car, inserting on the navigator Kyungsoo’s home directions.  
He also wanted to comment, but Sehun spoke again.  
“Then we met last week, and he was way better. We went to Jondae’s and Baek drank a bit more than expected so I convinced him to leave you a message. He said that you would never go there so he could write whatever inside because you probably would never read it” he ended and Chanyeol sighed.  
“How he was so sure I’d never go to Jondae’s?” he asked but Sehun didn’t had a reply.  
“Fine, and why you didn’t tell me before, when I clearly asked you if you ever saw Baek after what happened?” he asked him directly and Sehun sighed.  
“Because he made me promise I wouldn’t. And because you were too occupied with your new role for caring about anything else” he replied softly.  
“I can argue about…” Chanyeol started but Sehun stopped him immediately.  
“You needed to focus on things, Yeol. And having Baek around maybe wasn’t the best in that moment” he concluded and Chanyeol sighed.  
Sehun wasn’t so wrong, after all, but he kept asking news about Beta to everyone knew him.  
He would have been sufficient for someone just to tell him that he was alive and fine.  
He exchanged some more words with Sehun before hanging up and driving until Kyungsoo’s house.  
Chanyeol rang the bell and waited.  
“Who in the world is at this ungodly hour?” a voice asked before the door opened.  
It wasn’t Kyungsoo, but Jongin.  
“You are the guy of the café” Chanyeol commented and Jongin sighed, turning him his back and walking down the corridor.  
“Soo, your boss is here. Put on something” he called, making a gesture to Chanyeol.  
“You choose the worst moment, Park” he added, showing him the living room and tell him to sit on the couch.  
In five minutes, Kyungsoo emerged from the corridor, hair a bit messy and sweater with sweatpants instead of usual suit.  
Chanyeol was perplexed about the unformal attire, but it was almost midnight and he didn’t have any right of being there in that moment.  
He acted on pure instinct but now reason was telling him that it wasn’t the best choice.  
“Chanyeol, what’s so urgent that can’t wait tomorrow?” he asked sitting in front of him on the armchair.  
“Baekhyun” Chanyeol replied immediately and Kyungsoo sighed.  
“And we can’t talk about it tomorrow?” he asked but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“You spoke with Sehun already?” he enquired again, making Chanyeol nodding shortly.  
Kyungsoo sighed.  
“Jongin, can you make us some coffee. It will be a long talk” he asked gently, and the man clicked his tongue, nodding.  
“Ask me whatever you want to know, Chanyeol. I’ll tell you everything I know” he declared and Chanyeol inhaled deeply.  
“You were our neighbor, right?” he started asking and Kyungsoo nodded shortly.  
“So you want to go this back? Yes, I was. You and Baekhyun were inseparable and it was a pleasure being with you two. Baekhyun was sent to that boarding school few months before me and it was me the one that told him that your father was trying to cancel all the memories you had about Baekhyun himself” he started, stretching on the back of the armchair.  
“While attending that boarding school, where we met also Jondae, he started receiving letters from your mother. She was worried more about you than her own health. And Baekhyun wanted to go back every single day because, as he suspected, your father was killing her” he continued and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Eventually boarding school ended and, being your father his legal tutor, he had to take him back, making him do the worst jobs he could ever think of. Baekhyun took from him the Beta nickname. Because your father kept reminding him that Park family was like a pack of wolfs and he would always come second after him, the so-called and self-proclaimed Alpha” he added, making Chanyeol frowning shortly at the idea.  
He wanted to ask something but Kyungsoo shook his head, making him understand that if he had questions, he would take them at the end.  
“Baekhyun really swallowed everything during these years. Pride, honor… if he ever had something, in these years he sold almost everything away in order to arrive at what he wanted to. The only thing he never did and for which your father kept bugging him was giving himself physically” he added and Chanyeol’s eyes grew larger in surprise.  
What did that mean?  
That his father asked Beta for physical commitment too?  
He could feel his anger slowly building up and he had to focus himself on Kyungsoo’s words to keep himself calm.  
Kyungsoo sighed again.  
“It was a case that Mr. Park hired me as his lawyer, and meeting again Baekhyun made me realize how tired and changed he was. He was always forced, tense and never smiled nor laughed” he started before thanking Jongin that brought them coffee, sitting next to him on the armrest.  
“I had to work hard with Jondae and Jongin here to make him similar to his old self. Even though I realized that more time he passed in Mr. Park’s company, more he regressed on someone he wasn’t” he explained shaking his head and sipping the coffee.  
“It was my idea to suggest him to insist about your protection task. He wasn’t sure about it, even though he never told me his real reasons. However, he was extra sure on his plan for killing your father. And he had mine, Jondae and also Junmyeon’s help” he concluded and Chanyeol hummed in thought, sipping his coffee too.  
There was a moment of silence and then Chanyeol sighed.  
“Why you didn’t tell me anything about him being alive and safe?” he asked and Kyungsoo sighed too.  
“Because Baekhyun especially told me not to. He is so in love with you and he didn’t want you to have any distractions on your new forced work” he explained and Chanyeol nodded briefly.  
The same explanation that also Sehun gave him.  
“I am so hopeless when it comes to Baekhyun?” he asked and Kyungsoo snorted.  
“More than that. I wonder how Baek never realized that you were in love with him too. You totally indulged him in everything” he replied making Chanyeol blush shortly.  
“And I would do it also now. I don’t know why he thought that going away was the best solution” he whispered passing his fingers through his hair, messing it up.  
Kyungsoo sighed shortly.  
“Baek is unsure on many things. He didn’t want to know what was more important for you between him and your family honor. He still killed your father and a lot of your guards” he pointed out but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“He’s just making things harder than they already are. I’m not my father and I know that he did a lot of awful things including poisoning my mother. And I don’t feel his loss as much as one could think. On the other hand, Baekhyun for me is someone irreplaceable. Like him, there’s no one else. So it’s obvious that there’s no comparison” he explained but Kyungsoo shook his head.  
“For you and for me, maybe. But Baek is just worried about everything, Chanyeol. And he has his own reasons for being like this. Even though it’s not my place to tell them to you” he noted and Chanyeol sighed again.  
“He left me a note at Jondae’s” he added, showing it to Kyungsoo who snorted shortly again.  
“Probably he didn’t remember about it. He was so drunk that night. He kept spouting nonsense about life being already too fair with him because he managed to have sex with you at least once before dying” he explained giving it back to Chanyeol, whose face was redder than a tomato.  
“Drunk Baek is dangerous” Jongin added shortly, shaking his head and Kyungsoo smiled.  
“And too touchy, yeah” he concluded, nodding in thought.  
Chanyeol sighed again, forcing a smile.  
“So what now?” Jongin asked him, placing a hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder.  
“I asked Jondae to call me when Baekhyun will go there again” he whispered and both Kyungsoo and Kai nodded.  
“Nice thing. I hope Baek will take it well too” Jongin noted, making Kyungsoo sigh.  
“He has to. Chanyeol won’t hurt him and he loves him like Baek loves Chanyeol. They just need to talk, finally” he concluded.  
Chanyeol emptied his cup before sitting up.  
“Sorry again for disturbing at his hour and interrupting whatever you were doing before it” he started, noticing Kyungsoo’s cheeks taking a bit of red.  
“You are my boss but if you don’t exit that door in less than five minutes, I’ll kick you out” Kyungsoo concluded, making Chanyeol laugh shortly.  
“See you tomorrow, then” he ended up before exiting the house.  
He drove home in silence thinking of all the things he came to know about Beta.  
He just needed to wait until the day in which Jondae would call him back.  
  
  
It took almost a whole month before Jondae could tell him that, that night, Beta would go to Jondae’s night.  
Jondae let him know the hour so that Chanyeol could come later, being sure to meet him there.  
And as he prevented, Beta was sitting near the counter when he arrived at the night.  
“Fancy seeing you hear” he greeted nearing him and Beta’s eyes went larger in surprise before he could stare at Jondae and again at Chanyeol.  
“You set this?” he asked, voice a bit lower than Chanyeol remembered, but maybe it was only because of the alcohol.  
Chanyeol nodded, sitting near him and when Beta made his way to sit up, Chanyeol took his elbow, forcing him down again.  
“Won’t you stay? There’s something I want to tell you” he whispered shortly and Beta shook his head.  
“If it’s about your father…” he started but Chanyeol imitated his gesture.  
“It’s about you. I don’t care about what happened that day” Chanyeol added immediately, having Beta’s stare on his face.  
“I don’t know what idea you have in mind, Baekhyun, but I only care for you, especially after reading my mother’s letters and speaking with Kyungsoo” he supplied, voice calm and tone low, and Beta sighed, sitting and ordering another drink.  
“Kyungsoo has to keep his mouth shut” he murmured but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“I asked him about you, even though there’s still things I don’t understand” he stated ordering something too and Beta sipped shortly his drink.  
“So, you are here to interrogate me?” he asked and Chanyeol stared at him perplexed before laughing soundly.  
“Nothing of that kind. I’m here only to tell you that it doesn’t matter to me” he said and Beta frowned glancing towards his direction, astonished.  
He wanted to speak but Chanyeol added: “You don’t want to reply to my question? I don’t care. You want to be alone because reasons? I don’t care, I want you with me. And you think that I’d choose my honor over you? I don’t care, because I still love you as before” he explained, making Beta blush.  
“You don’t know what you are saying, Chanyeol” he started saying but Chanyeol shook his head, moving his hand to caress Baekhyun’s over the counter.  
“And you are not giving yourself any credit. You value more than everything else to me. Do you want me to leave this life and fly to Hawaii together and never come back just to prove my love for you? I’ve enough money to do it if you want” he added, making Beta smiling softly.  
“You’re an idiot” he whispered, smile still present on his lips.  
“An idiot who is in love with you” he corrected, smiling too and Beta sighed.  
“What if I’m not in love with you anymore?” he asked and Chanyeol inhaled sharply.  
“Then please tell me clearly. Because your absence is killing me and what it’s keeping me up is the only idea that maybe I still have some possibilities with you” he replied, voice almost a whisper.  
Beta’s stare was immediately on his, shocked.  
“If anything, it should be me that I’d ask myself if I still have possibilities with you or not” he added immediately and Chanyeol forced a smile.  
“I don’t care, Baekhyun. The only thing I want is having you with me again” he concluded, lips pressing in a thin line, waiting for some kind of reply.  
Nervousness was killing him.  
He didn’t like the idea of the possibility that Beta couldn’t not love him anymore.  
Or not having him anymore at his side.  
“I’ll answer your questions. If after that you will still think the same of me, we can talk about it” he started and Chanyeol shook his head, making him flinch.  
“If you want to tell me something, I’ll gladly listen to whatever it will be. But this won’t change my feelings for you, Baekhyun” he explained in a whisper and Beta shook his head fervently.  
“You don’t know anything, Chanyeol! How can you accept me so easily when I did…” he started but Chanyeol’s pushed a finger on his lips.  
“You killed men? I know it. You killed my father? I know it. You followed all his orders all the way through these years. Kyungsoo already told me about what he asked you to do. And, let me tell you something, if I knew it before, I would probably kill him myself” he stated trying to contain his voice, but still feeling the anger growing as the moment in which Kyungsoo told him.  
Beta stared at him astonished, mouth moving around words that wouldn’t exit.  
“So, would you please stop it? I don’t care about anything else if not you loving me or not” he concluded, sighing and trying to calm himself down.  
His feelings were on full display, even the ones that hurt him the most.  
Beta sighed shortly before sitting up.  
Chanyeol followed his movement with his stare, waiting for something, anything, from him.  
“I suppose that I drank more than allowed for driving tonight. Won’t you bring me home?” he asked shortly and Chanyeol never sat up so fast in his life, already putting on his coat.  
“Let’s go” he concluded, paying for the bill and shortly greeting Jondae who was occupied with other guests.  
Once they were in Chanyeol’s car, Chanyeol’s stare went to Beta.  
“I need your address, if you want me to bring you home…” he started shortly but Beta shook his head.  
“I’ll give you directions” he whispered shortly and Chanyeol nodded.  
He drove in silence until the designed destination, meeting a complex of apartments so gray and sad that he wondered how someone could live there.  
“Sixth floor” Beta sighed, pressing the button inside the elevator and guiding Chanyeol until the apartment 605.  
The inside was standard.  
Small entryway with small living-dining-kitchen room.  
One bathroom and one bedroom.  
Tiny balcony and nothing more.  
“Welcome to my house” he sighed monotone, hanging his jacket on the racket and tipping his shoes off.  
“It’s… small?” Chanyeol said tentatively, making him laugh shortly.  
“And almost uninhabited” he added for him sitting on the small couch and hinting Chanyeol to do the same.  
He stared outside the windows while speaking, and he seemed more tired than the last time they saw each other.  
“I rent this place when I came back from boarding school. I had some savings for tutoring I made over there and the first paycheck boss gave me. It was the only place where I could be alone. I’ve never told him I lived here, even though I suppose he knew it” he started, passing his fingers through his hair and sighing.  
“Boss gave me a ton of works from the first day I was here. He said that he would help me reminding me my place. How I was a subordinate and nothing more” he explained smiling bitterly.  
“With Mrs. Park everything was different. She loved me like she loved you and she was very kind and sweet with me. When she told me that boss was poisoning her, I seriously thought about taking a bus, a train, whatever it would take me for coming home and beat the crap out of him” he added, his voice full of anger.  
“But I didn’t. Because I couldn’t and because she stopped me for doing it. However, she made me swore that I wouldn’t let it happens to you” he whispered shortly, putting his hands on his face.  
He seemed to be desperate.  
“I wasn’t able to protect her, Chanyeol. The person that saved my life died on my watch and I didn’t do anything. I felt miserable and useless” Beta continued and when Chanyeol tried to intervene, he stopped him immediately.  
“Whatever you want to say, I already heard it from Kyungsoo and Jondae. They were there with me and helped me all the way through. Even if they weren’t here when I came back and boss started assigning me the worst jobs ever, even arriving to propose me physical favors” he continued, slowly pulling down his necktie and opening the first two buttons of his shirt.  
“He was… sly. And he tried in several occasions to blackmail me about my jobs for him and especially when Kyungsoo convinced me to ask him about your protection task” he whispered, shaking his head at the thought.  
“I was terrified at the idea of meeting you again. I always managed to avoid you those few times that you went to Park mansion, but being in contact with you twenty-four seven? I wasn’t the same and you didn’t remember about me. Boss even told me that you hated me so much that you totally forget about me” he murmured but Chanyeol shook his head exasperated.  
He wanted to comment but Beta sighed deeply, continuing to talk.  
The dams that for years kept all his feelings and history hidden from the world were slowly crumbling.  
“But when I finally knew what he was doing and what he was planning to do, I had to act. If Kyungsoo told you that he and Jondae helped me on this, it’s not true. It was only my idea and I acted alone” he said before immediately adding other thoughts that came with it.  
“And I wanted to write so much that morning that a single sheet would never been sufficient. Because I already missed you. And I loved you so much that it physically hurt me the only idea of leaving you” he concluded, making Chanyeol frown beside him.  
“You loved me? Should I suppose it’s different now?” he asked shortly and worried.  
Beta sighed deeply.  
“I would like to tell you that it’s different and that I don’t love you anymore. Because I would be able to protect you from whatever thing will happen from us being together” he started and Chanyeol’s eyes widened, already feeling his heart aching.  
“However, I’m not so strong nor good at lying. I love you Chanyeol. Maybe even more than before” he concluded leaning his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, inhaling his cologne.  
“I love you too, Baekhyun” he whispered back, kissing the top of his head.  
“And I don’t care whatever it will happen. Not as long as you will be with me” he concluded, hand moving to caress Beta’s.  
  
  
At first, it was difficult to convince all the remaining members of Park family that Beta wasn't a threat.  
Skeptical people were everywhere, but Chanyeol himself tried harder in order to settle all the rumors, even the ones that were truths.  
Beta was... Like he was before, only more distant.  
Even though he proclaimed his love to Chanyeol that night, to Chanyeol seemed to be back to the first times Beta entered his life.  
It wasn't exactly like the start since he never tried again to point a gun to Chanyeol, but the behavior was that.  
Chanyeol didn't understand why Beta behaved like that and even when he asked Sehun or Kyungsoo they hadn't any solution.  
The only one who gave him an explanation, that he didn't like at all, was Jondae.  
"He's trying to settle things with himself, Chanyeol. It's not easy embracing the idea that you can finally openly express your love. Not when everything is happened" he pointed out one night while Chanyeol was sitting near the counter of his night.  
“I get it, somehow. Just I feel like something is missing? And I don’t know how to…” he started but Jondae shook his head.  
“Let me tell you that if you never face it with B, he would probably continue to avoid it too. Because he’s afraid of a whole lot of things and he would never start this talk with you” he added and Chanyeol sighed shortly.  
Whatever he wanted to happen, he had to start it himself, then.  
But how could he talk it out with Beta if he still was so dodgy?  
He greeted Jondae thanking him for his advice and he went home.  
When he arrived home, Beta was sleeping on the couch.  
He sighed before taking a blanket and making the gesture to drawing it on Beta.  
Beta sat up immediately, surprised.  
“Ah, it’s you” he whispered and Chanyeol smiled shortly, tiredly.  
“You are not sleeping enough again” Chanyeol stated sitting near him, moving his hand to caress Beta’s cheek.  
He let him do it, closing his eyes sighing.  
“Maybe you are right. I’ll try go to bed a bit” he added and Chanyeol nodded, shifting his hand and gripping his jacket.  
As if the situation wasn’t already problematic, Beta also continued to use guests’ room, refusing almost every physical contact with him and obviously without even hinting at them possibly sleeping together.  
“Yeah, sleep tight, Baekhyun” he whispered, voice exiting lower and more tired than expected.  
Beta’s stare was immediately on him.  
“Are you okay? Everything is fine?” he asked and when Chanyeol just nodded, Beta checked the wristwatch noticing that it was later than he thought.  
Almost two AM.  
“You returned now from work?” he murmured, worry tinting his stare and Chanyeol smiled the most naturally possible.  
“No, don’t worry. I was at Jondae’s for a drink” he explained but Beta’s stare was fix on him, waiting for something else to come.  
Like he knew that there was something more.  
Chanyeol sighed.  
“I’m worried about you. About us” he finally told Beta, who flinched at the honesty.  
“Despite me telling you that I love you more than my own life and hearing these same words from you, we are back to square one. Like at the start, like you don’t want me to know you anymore. Like I mistook your words and, after all, you are just once again only my guard, not my friend and let alone the love of my life” he whispered shortly pulling his hand through his hair, frustrated.  
He felt Beta’s stare on him but he couldn’t manage to sustain it.  
Chanyeol felt fragile, exposed, in that moment like he was the only one having noticed problems and caring about building things together.  
“I told you it wouldn’t be easy…” Beta started but Chanyeol shook his head immediately.  
“That’s not it. It’s not like I can’t bear what happens outside us or I have problem facing what the rest of Park Family think about you. It’s you completely ignoring the feelings I have for you. Behaving like we don’t mean nothing” he interrupted him, this time staring back at him, offering him whatever he felt.  
“It’s not like there was even an us to start with” Beta murmured back, making Chanyeol shifting away his eyes immediately.  
“So, I misunderstood everything?” he asked, fearing Beta’s reply, unable to meet his eyes with Beta’s.  
There was a small silence.  
And then Beta’s hand caressing Chanyeol’s cheek, forcing him to meet his stare.  
“It’s not it, Chanyeol. We should…” he started again but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“Just tell me already. Don’t hide behind words, because I tried in all the ways to make you understand” he whispered, fingers slightly brushing the back of Beta’s hand on his cheek.  
There was another silence and Chanyeol sighed again.  
“I understand. Sorry for forcing my feelings on you” he concluded sitting up and going to his bedroom, closing the door after him.  
He just wanted to cry.  
When Beta finally made what he came back for, everything ended.  
He didn’t have to pretend anymore to be friend with Chanyeol.  
And surely not to be in love with him.  
But Chanyeol had so much feelings that he didn’t even know what to do with them.  
He started undressing slowly, strength leaving completely his body and his soul.  
We can do it as long as you are with me, he told Beta that night, but probably he just forced Beta to stick around when he clearly wanted to go.  
There was a soft knock on the door.  
“Chanyeol, are you still awake?” Beta’s muffled voice asked.  
He replied affirmatively even though he didn’t want to speak in that moment.  
“I’m sorry” he continued and Chanyeol felt his heart squeeze tighter, throat closing and tears starting to prickle the corners of his eyes.  
“You don’t have to. Like you don’t have to stay here if you want to go away. I don’t need you to stay just for pity. You are free to go and do whatever…” he started but Beta clicked his tongue so soundly he could hear it through the door.  
“Are you listening yourself or you’re talking nonsense just because?” he asked annoyed and Chanyeol shook his head, shortly.  
“I can’t force you here, just…” he tried again but Beta knocked on the door.  
“I’m entering” he said without any other forewarning and entering in the room.  
Chanyeol’s eyes immediately went on his, surprised.  
“You don’t understand anything. I know nothing of feelings or of relationship, but I know that I want to be here and with you. And if you would let me finish, I would tell you that I didn’t know that there was a us to start with, but that I want to build it with you, even if I don’t know how! Why are you always so impulsive? Can’t you wait for people to find right words?” he spat out, cheeks flushed and eyes glassy.  
Did Chanyeol heard correctly?  
Beta was hinting at building something together?  
For real?  
“Geez, I don’t even know where to start and you can’t wait for more than one minute. You know, it’s not easy when, as you defined, the love of your life doesn’t let you think about words and how to process the fact that it wasn’t something unrequited all along and even after months from what happened he is still willing to build something with you, even though you don’t even know where to start because… love? What in the world is love? How do you love someone? And how do you show affection if not through sex and physical actions?” he continued, pulling his hair back and shaking his head in discomfort.  
Chanyeol was astonished and sat agape on the bed.  
“You… You never told me” he murmured softly making Beta chuckled.  
“How could I? After that night, you never told me again that you loved me. You never told you didn’t like me being the same person I was from the start. I thought that your feelings were similar to the ones you can have for a friend or a brother? Not that you really wanted something with me. And earlier, I thought you was referring to that time that we had sex together. Because I’m not up to that kind of relationship with you… it would hurt me more than I can take” he explained, stare shifting away, putting on display feelings that he tried so hard to hide in that period or probably for his whole life.  
Chanyeol was so surprised that he was literally without words.  
“So you’re telling me that you love me as I love you?” Chanyeol only managed to whisper.  
Beta sighed shortly.  
“I’d never come back and live through what I experienced for someone I don’t love. For someone who is not you” he said finally and, even before he could realize it, Chanyeol already sat up, hugging him.  
Beta stiffened shortly and didn’t totally relax neither when he circled Chanyeol’s waist with his arm, reciprocating the embrace.  
“I’m clueless about everything, Chanyeol. I can’t pick right from left in this kind of things” he whispered but Chanyeol shook his head.  
“We will do it together. At your pace, whichever it may be” he replied hugging him tighter and feeling Beta stiffening again.  
“This is no good for you?” he asked distancing himself shortly and Beta sighed.  
“I… don’t know? It’s a mix of sensation and I don’t know exactly how to… just enjoy them?” he replied briefly.  
Chanyeol smiled, nodding.  
“Okay, one step at time” he reassured him shortly and Beta blushed slightly.  
“Thanks” he murmured and it was clear that he wanted to add something but he was unsure.  
Chanyeol caressed his cheek softly, making him raise his head.  
“Whatever it is, tell me. We can talk about it” he whispered, smiling.  
Beta stayed silent a minute more and then he sighed.  
“You find it strange, right? That I’m fine with having sex but basic cuddling troubles me?” he asked voice barely audible and Chanyeol stared at him perplexed before laughing briefly.  
“Obviously no, Baekhyun. Exactly because I know you and what happened to you, I don’t find it so strange. And actually, we won’t have sex for a while. We will follow your pace and when you will feel comfortable with our relationship and your own feelings, we will consider it. Together” he explained under Beta’s astonished stare.  
“Why?” he managed to ask, voice unstable and perplexity in his eyes.  
“Because I love you and whatever can make you feel better, safe and love yourself, I’ll support and promote it” Chanyeol replied, shrugging his shoulders and kissing Beta’s forehead.  
He hummed softly, leaning his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, letting him caress his back.  
Chanyeol couldn’t express enough how content he felt in that moment, just to know that Beta love him back and was willing to try building things together.  
  
  
They slowly made progresses.  
The first one was having Beta take and squeeze Chanyeol’s hand while they were sitting on the couch, watching reruns of Supernatural.  
Chanyeol was surprised but didn’t move away, instead squeezing tentatively Beta’s hand back.  
They hold hands for almost all the evening.  
Or when Beta surprised him with a back hug while he was cooking and he really, really, wanted to hug him back too but he didn’t want to scare him away so he just caressed his hands that was pressing on his torso.  
Followed few weeks later by a real front hug, arrived for no apparent reason.  
Chanyeol was back from work and Beta was already at home, waiting for him.  
He already changed into sweatpants and hoodie and when Chanyeol opened the door, walking through the entryway to go in the living room, Beta almost run to him, hugging him.  
“Baekhyun?” he asked, arms immediately closing around Beta’s body, resting on his back.  
“Welcome home” he whispered softly, snuggling his nose in Chanyeol’s torso.  
“I’m home” Chanyeol replied, stroking Beta’s back and enjoy the full hug.  
Chanyeol was more than happy about these small things that made him fall in love with Beta every day more.  
He loved how fluffy and soft Beta was when he exited the shower, or how relaxed he started to feel around Chanyeol and when he caressed him or they occasionally shared some touches.  
Even though for mid-summer, they slept together on the couch, literally cuddling, sleeping in the same bed was still something that Beta wasn’t keen on doing.  
The first time it happened, it was almost forced.  
They decided to take some time together and Chanyeol invited him to a weekend at the hot springs.  
He had to insist a bit because Beta didn’t want him to spend money for futile things, but Chanyeol managed to convince him.  
The only problem: the hotel had only a room with a big bed, instead of separate bed.  
“They said that they have no other room. Maybe tomorrow” Beta whispered returning to the room and Chanyeol forced a smile.  
“I’m sorry I didn’t call coming here, I thought that everything was fine” he replied making Beta shake his head.  
“Don’t worry, it happens” he concluded, pulling at his necktie and starting to undo it.  
“I can sleep on the small couch, there is no problem…” Chanyeol started shortly but Beta shook his head.  
“This bed is so big that four people could fit in. We can sleep together, if you want” he pointed out and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
He almost couldn’t believe his ears.  
“Sure, if you don’t mind” he replied quickly, earning a shy smile from Beta.  
That night, laying each other on their own side of the bed, Chanyeol was so nervous that couldn’t fell asleep.  
“Are you okay?” Beta whispered feeling him turning and pulling the blankets again.  
“Yeah, sorry. Just I’m having problem falling asleep” he whispered back, mind slapping himself for being so nervous about simply sleeping in the same bed of Beta.  
“I’m having a few too. Do you want to hold hands?” he asked and Chanyeol felt a movement on his left and, reaching his hand under the blankets, he met Beta’s hand.  
“We used to do this a lot when we were kids. You liked scary stories a lot, but when it was the time to sleep you were so scared that we had to hold hands until the morning after to make you sleep” Beta whispered, amusement clear in his voice.  
Chanyeol smiled too.  
He liked when Beta told him things about their past that Chanyeol didn’t remember.  
He made him feel warm inside.  
“Hope that will help us also tonight?” Chanyeol noted, finger brushing the back of Beta’s hand.  
There was a small moment of silence and Beta was already fast asleep.  
Chanyeol followed him promptly, smile still present on his face.  
The morning after, Chanyeol was woke up by an unusual weight on his arm that made him almost lose the circulation on his left arm.  
He turned his face, meeting the asleep face of Beta, balled up beside him, head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, breathing evenly.  
He stayed unmoving for he didn’t know how much time because he feared to wake him up and interrupting whatever he was witnessing.  
Beta was so soft and cute, hair messed up and closed up to the nearest warm thing, in this case Chanyeol himself.  
Beta stirred awake later, rolling face first in Chanyeol’s chest and Chanyeol had to restraint himself for not hugging him and squeezing him tightly.  
“-Yeol? Morning” he mumbled, eyes still hazed by the sleep and rosy cheeks.  
“Morning. How are you feeling?” he asked, smiling and Beta snuggled his nose in Chanyeol’s chest, getting closer.  
“Are you cold?” Chanyeol asked again, this time reach around Beta and embracing him, pulling him closer to himself.  
He felt so warm and soft beside him and the urge to touch him was great, putting Chanyeol through a hard ordeal.  
Beta shook his head, mumbling something unintelligible.  
“You are so cute in the morning” Chanyeol whispered softly, getting a wannabe-angry-but-I’m-only-cuter glance.  
He chuckled shortly, caressing Beta’s hair, earning himself a sigh.  
“You okay? Are you still sleepy?” Chanyeol asked him but Beta shook his head.  
“Coffee” he mumbled making Chanyeol repress another chuckle.  
“Sure. You want us to dress up and go eat downstairs or do you want me to order room service?” he asked him and Beta snuggled closer again.  
“And room service will be” he concluded, slowly stretching to reach for the phone and ordering breakfast.  
  
  
From that moment, Beta started to use every good reason to sleep with Chanyeol.  
Even if Chanyeol noted that it happened always on the couch or on guests’ room bed, never on Chanyeol’s.  
It was like they were proceeding per levels.  
No sleep together, step one.  
Only on the couch, step two.  
Couch and guests’ room bed, step three.  
Also Chanyeol’s bed, ultimate step.  
With guests’ room bed level, came also unexpected another step more: foreplays.  
Nothing too fancy or sexual, but enough to make them indulge in each other’s relieving of needs.  
Feeling Beta’s skin and hands on him, felt like heavens and like Chanyeol was never touched by anyone else before.  
And touching Beta’s skin, feeling him under his hands and lips, felt like hell because the most he wanted of him, the most he had to restraint himself, fearing to scare Beta away.  
He was so perfect and so beautiful that Chanyeol couldn’t believe he was real.  
Feeling him coming in his hands, hair sticking to his forehead, whispering Chanyeol’s name, gripping on his arm and leaving traces on his back.  
And Chanyeol dedicated everything only to Beta’s pleasure, making him feel loved like he never felt probably in his whole life.  
For Chanyeol it was fine also like that.  
If they never would arrive to the last step, to have sex again or to sleep together in Chanyeol’s bed, it would be fine too.  
Because having him like that, was already much more than what Chanyeol could have hoped for.  
  
  
One day, though, returning home from Park Mansion, Chanyeol didn’t find Beta.  
The day was long and he had to fix a lot of thing with Kyungsoo for the accords with other families on the market and it went longer than expected.  
With the Parks everything was fine, except the normal things that can happen in every workplace.  
But coming home, just to find all the lights out and no traces of Beta, made Chanyeol feel uncomfortable.  
He moved to his room, sighing and already feeling his pockets, looking for his phone, but when he switched on the lights, he found Beta sleeping soundly on his bed.  
And not only he was sleeping on his bed, but he was wearing only boxer and one of Chanyeol’s home t-shirt.  
Chanyeol froze on the door, feeling at least hundreds of things in the same moment.  
Why Beta was in his bed?  
Sleeping?  
Without sweatpants and with Chanyeol’s t-shirt?  
It was the first time he borrowed something from Chanyeol.  
Chanyeol wanted to slap himself because, it must be a dream, it was the only explanation.  
He put his bag on the floor, near the entrance, pulling at his necktie.  
Was it better to leave him sleep?  
Turn off the lights and wait for him to wake?  
Or maybe he had to wake him up?  
Chanyeol hold his breath thinking about what was better to do.  
Beta stirred shortly, probably bothered by the light.  
“Chanyeol?” he asked, voice muffled from the sleep.  
“Yeah, it’s me” he replied shortly, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt because he started to feel hot.  
Beta hummed without moving any further, but in the same moment that Chanyeol asked him shortly “Everything’s fine?”, he sat up, blushing.  
“I’m sorry” he whispered but Chanyeol shook his head, nearing him cautiously.  
“For what?” Chanyeol asked him, keeping a certain distance because he felt already how his hands wanted to touch everywhere, because there was too much exposed skin.  
“For taking your bed? And your t-shirt without permission?” he replied rubbing his eyes and Chanyeol had the confirmation that Beta was that one percent of people that could be both sexy and cute in the same exact instant.  
“It’s fine, you know that all that is mine, it’s also yours. You don’t have to ask” he noted, throat dry around words, and Beta nodded before closing the distance that there was between them, hugging him.  
“Welcome home” he whispered and Chanyeol smiled shortly, caressing Beta’s hair.  
“You are late” Beta added snuggling his face in Chanyeol’s shirt, making his heart flutter.  
“I’m sorry, Kyungsoo kept me there to sign every last sheet of those damned contracts” he grumbled feeling Beta chuckling against his torso.  
“Soo can be pretty convincing when he fixes himself on something” he commented and Chanyeol hummed in thought.  
“And it was because I was late that you decide to borrow my t-shirt?” Chanyeol asked him briefly, feeling Beta squeeze him even more in the hug.  
“I… I was waiting for you. And got a bit sleepy. I thought that a shower could wake me up, but it made me sleepier. I did the laundry and come across with this” he started, pointing at the t-shirt he was wearing, “but being newly dried, it didn’t have so much of your scent. So I came here and… fell asleep on your bed. I’m sorry” he explained voice muffled and Chanyeol smiled softly, starting to run his fingers down to Beta’s back, feeling him shiver.  
“You don’t need to be sorry, Baekhyun. It’s just that I didn’t expect you here and neither to look this sexy with my t-shirt on…” he started, kissing his temple and then moving to his ears.  
“I’m not…” Beta tried to say but Chanyeol bit his ear, making him gasp in surprise.  
“I think so, and that’s fine for me” he whispered in his ear and Beta hummed shortly.  
“Are you hungry or we can eat also later?” Beta asked him and Chanyeol didn’t need more words.  
He put his hand behind Beta’s laps, lifting him up, reaching for the bed and laying him down, hovering on him, planting fluttering kisses along his neck and making him giggle.  
“Chanyeol, you are tickling me” he murmured, hands pushing Chanyeol’s chest to distance him.  
Chanyeol chuckled shortly, starting to kiss him more seriously on his exposed collarbones and shoulder.  
Beta’s hands immediately started to unbutton Chanyeol’s shirt, slowly without any rush, just enjoying the sensation of Chanyeol’s mouth on his neck and hands on his waist, making their way beneath the t-shirt.  
Beta shuddered briefly when Chanyeol’s fingers brushed his hipbones.  
“Are you cold?” Chanyeol asked him and Beta shook his head forcing him to rise a bit in order to remove his shirt.  
Chanyeol complied but his stare was worried on Beta.  
“Not so much, but in few minutes I won’t be anymore, Chanyeol. Could you please not worry and come down here again?” he asked him and Chanyeol smiled softly.  
“So bossy” he whispered, leaning in and starting to kiss him slowly on the neck, hands roaming beneath the t-shirt and reaching for Beta’s nipple.  
He pinched it shortly, earning himself a groan and Beta’s hands starting to pull at his belt and unzipping them.  
“Yeol” he moaned when Chanyeol bit again his neck, sucking a hickey.  
“Baekhyun, you are so beautiful” Chanyeol whispered, caressing his side before detaching shortly to remove his trousers.  
“I am not, but you make me feel like I am” he replied softly when Chanyeol was newly on him.  
Chanyeol smiled shortly.  
“I love you” he said out of nowhere, making Beta blush, becoming redder.  
“I-I love you too, Chanyeol” he replied, caressing his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.  
Initially it was slow and sweet, soft brushes and tentative touches, but then Chanyeol licked Beta’s bottom lips, like to ask him permission and slide his tongue in, meeting his.  
Chanyeol’s hands went once again to Beta’s sides, under the t-shirt, caressing him and pining him on the bed.  
They both shivered, moaning, when they erection brushed together, making both of them realize how the other was excited.  
“-Yeol” Beta called him and Chanyeol stare at him, waiting, hands caressing Beta’s sides.  
They stared at each other for a minute and then Chanyeol asked him if there was any problem.  
Beta shook his head, unmoving.  
“Hey, if you don’t feel like…” Chanyeol started but Beta huffed, switching immediately their positions.  
Chanyeol found himself under Beta, a thing that almost never happened since they restarted their relationship, and he was shaking his head.  
“You know, it would be great if you could be a little bit more patient” he whispered, fingers tentatively brushing the side of Chanyeol’s neck that closed his eyes humming in contentment at the sensation.  
“I’m just worried about you, Baekhyun…” he whispered but he felt Beta shaking his head.  
“I know, and I appreciate it. But sometimes I just need time to explain what I feel” he murmured back, leaning his forehead to Chanyeol’s.  
Chanyeol could feel his breath on his lips, steady and hot.  
“Take your time, then. I’m here just for you and for us” Chanyeol commented smiling softly and watching Beta’s smiling cutely.  
He inhaled sharply before whispering on Chanyeol’s lips.  
“I want to feel you inside me, Chanyeol”.  
Chanyeol’s eyes grew larger, searching in Beta’s stare a trace of obligation or maybe afterthought but he found only vast and unconfined love.  
“Sure. But I want to prepare you properly. And do you have any preferred position?” he asked seriously and Beta shook his head.  
“No, no preferences and for the preparation do you want me to take care of it?” he asked back, blush still clear on his cheeks.  
Chanyeol smiled, pulling him down for a slow kiss, more chaste than the other one, but sweet and long.  
“I will do it. I want to feel you too” he concluded and Beta blushed again, letting Chanyeol switching their positions one again.  
Chanyeol took lube and condoms from the nightstand and slowly caressed Beta’s abdomen before gradually pulling down his boxer.  
He was already hard, precum forming in beads on the tip.  
Chanyeol kneeled in between his legs, fingers brushing Beta’s erection.  
He moaned softly, trying to conceive the sound.  
“There’s no one here beside me and you, so please let yourself go” Chanyeol whispered near Beta’s ear, opening the lube and pouring a generous amount on his hand.  
Beta nodded and Chanyeol kissed him quickly.  
“Whatever thing you want to say, especially if it hurts or if you are not up to whatever I’m doing, tell me. Speak to me” he said again and Beta nodded, caressing his cheek shortly.  
Chanyeol circled Beta’s entrance slowly, making it wet and making it sure that he could slide at least one finger in without too much resistance.  
Surprisingly, when he pushed the digit in, he found way less resistance than he expected.  
His stare went to Beta’s who blushed shortly.  
“I regularly do it myself” he murmured and Chanyeol felt that even boxer in that moment were too tight for his own erection.  
“And what do you think about when you do it alone?” Chanyeol asked him, slowly moving his finger inside Beta and adding another one, once Beta seemed to be comfortable with it.  
Beta blushed furiously, moaning deeply and adjusting around the new insertion.  
“What do you mean with what? You, obviously” he replied and Chanyeol smiled, thrusting with his fingers and making Betta moaning loudly, hand gripping on the comforter.  
“I’m glad you think about me, but what in particular? Is there something I can do to fulfill some of your fantasies?” he asked pouring more lube and adding another finger, this time waiting for Beta to adjust around them.  
He could see Beta’s mind thinking about it, cheeks getting even redder if possible.  
“Let’s leave alone fantasies for the moment” he whispered making Chanyeol chuckle shortly, starting to move again his fingers inside Beta, earning a lustful moan, making his back arch.  
“I always think how your fingers could…” he started groaning at the friction of Chanyeol’s fingers inside him, “stretch me up, being thicker than mine” he added, gripping again on the comforter and Chanyeol leant down to bite his neck, sucking another hickey on it.  
“And do you like them? Filling you up?” he asked, whispering in his ear, fingers brushing against Beta’s prostate, making him mewl.  
“Yeah, I love all of you, Chanyeol” he whispered, hand going to grip on his arm.  
Chanyeol started to set a pace inside Beta, moving his fingers steadily.  
Beta was beautiful, eyes glassy and full blown, continuously asking for more.  
Chanyeol felt that he could come only from watching Beta’s own release in that moment.  
“Chanyeol… it’s enough” he whispered shortly, breath coming in a haste and watching him in the eyes.  
Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
His erection was asking him to be relieved too otherwise it would explode, because seeing Beta like this was already too much for him.  
He slowly removed his fingers from Beta who hissed shortly at the lack, and took off his own boxer, rolling on the condom, giving his shaft one or two short tugs.  
“Baekhyun” he whispered, caressing his cheeks and making Beta watching him.  
“Please, Chanyeol, we waited long enough. My body is ready for you and you only” he murmured back, stopping Chanyeol from saying whatever thing more.  
“I want you inside of me. I want to feel you coming” he added, raising his hand to caress Chanyeol’s on his cheek.  
“Everything will be fine” he reassured him moving his head to kiss the palm of Chanyeol’s hand.  
And Chanyeol nodded shortly, slowly teasing Beta’s entrance with his tip, before starting to push in.  
He met some resistance, but after the head was in, the rest went in swiftly.  
Beta cringed shortly, gripping harder on Chanyeol’s arm but even before Chanyeol could ask him if he was fine, he smiled toward him.  
“You can move” he said shortly, breath uneven, hair messy and eyes glassy.  
“You are the most beautiful on earth, Baekhyun” Chanyeol whispered starting to move inside him, slowly, observing Beta’s reactions, checking if everything was fine.  
Beta started to moan, circling his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, arching his back and following Chanyeol’s movement inside him.  
Chanyeol shifted shortly, adjusting and searching for his soft spot, and making him almost cry his name when he found it.  
“There, please… Chanyeol” he whispered and Chanyeol complied immediately, feeling his own climax drawing nearer.  
Beta was so tight and squeezed Chanyeol so good that he felt the orgasm nearing faster than expected.  
He moved his hand between them, taking Beta’s erection and starting to stroke it, following the pace inside Beta himself.  
He groaned deeply arching his back and squeezing harder Chanyeol inside himself.  
“Yeol, Chanyeol… please more” he moaned starting a sequel of unintelligible sentences, asking him for more and soon catching up his release on Chanyeol’s hand, tightening more around Chanyeol all through his own orgasm.  
“Baekhyun” he groaned, biting him again on his neck, leaving another mark.  
Beta yipped feeling him coming inside him, breath faster and sweat sticking his hair to his forehead, chest heaving.  
They stayed there for few minutes, trying to catch their breath, Chanyeol’s forehead leant on Beta’s shoulder.  
“You are perfect” Beta whispered, throat a bit raspy, surprising Chanyeol who detached from his shoulder just to stare at him in the eyes.  
“You are” he replied, making Beta smile shortly.  
Chanyeol exited slowly, hearing Beta hiss a bit especially at the end.  
He laid down near Beta, staring at the ceiling.  
“I say shower and take out?” Beta proposed making Chanyeol chuckle.  
“Sure. I couldn’t agree more. I should marry you” he replied softly, even before realizing it.  
Beta blushed immediately, cheeks catching fire.  
“Marry?” he echoed and Chanyeol blushed softly too.  
He didn’t expected to propose like that, but the idea was there for a while already.  
“Don’t say that you didn’t expect this. My life is already yours. We just need some papers that testify it” he commented.  
After all it wasn’t so strange.  
They fit together perfectly and finally they found their equilibrium too.  
Beta nodded shortly.  
“Mine is yours too, Chanyeol. But Park Family is… big. And they probably are against this” he whispered but Chanyeol at his side shook his head.  
“I need just two glasses, some liquor and Kyungsoo as lawyer and best man” he replied making Beta chuckle.  
“I know, since you are the head of the Parks, but we need to organize things properly. Dae would kill me if I marry and he wouldn’t even know it” he commented making Chanyeol laugh.  
“You are right. So, let’s settle things, organize everything, invite whoever you prefer and marry” he concluded shifting to kiss him softly on the lips.  
The contact was short because Chanyeol’s stomach grumbled, making Beta snort.  
“First, shower and diner. Then we can think about the rest” he said sitting up, t-shirt falling to cover his torso and waist but revealing his neck and collarbones.  
Chanyeol stared at him, appreciating Beta’s gorgeousness.  
“While I wait for a ring and a contract, I already affirmed my ownership on you” he noted, head gesturing toward the marks he left on Beta’s neck.  
He sighed softly, shaking his head.  
“I have no owner, and you know it. But I’ve no intention of going away from you. I’ve already missed you sufficiently in my life” he explained and Chanyeol smiled, sitting up and hugging him shortly.  
“I know, Baekhyun. And I’m sorry for making you wait, but now we are here and we have all the time of the universe” he concluded, leaning in and kissing him slowly.  
  
  
Five months later  
“Baekhyun! Where in the world are you?” Kyungsoo shouted across the hall of Park mansion.  
Chanyeol was with him and he was worried because they were already late and he was nowhere to be found.  
Kyungsoo sighed shortly.  
“Maybe he went to see Mrs. Park?” he asked to Chanyeol, making him raise his eyebrow.  
But no, after all it wasn’t so strange after all, seeing that the first reason why Beta was back, was for his mother and to protect him.  
They went to the backyard where there was also Park private cemetery and Beta was standing there, big bouquet of violet and lilac flowers in hands.  
Chanyeol and Kyungsoo remained at respectful distance even though he noticed them being there.  
He deposited the bouquet down and bowed deeply, before turning toward them.  
“I’m late, right?” he asked nonchalantly but Chanyeol saw a hint of tears in his eyes.  
“Not so much, let’s go” he replied taking his hands and following Kyungsoo until the salon of Park Mansion.  
Despite Park’s tradition of wearing black at weddings too, both Chanyeol and Beta was wearing white.  
Kyungsoo settled down the bottle with the two glasses in front of them and in front of all their friends and other members of the family.  
“Let’s start?” Kyungsoo asked and both nodded.  
“Today we are here to officially declare the wedding of our grooms and the official admission of Byun in Park Family” Kyungsoo declared.  
“Do you want to exchange the vows?” he asked them and they both nodded.  
Chanyeol took at least three nights awake to think of it, study it and not stutter when saying it.  
He still felt like an idiot in that moment, though.  
Especially because he decided with Beta not to share their vows before the day.  
“Baekhyun, we went through a lot, really. But now that I have you here, I promise you to give you my everything. Because you are my everything, my guiding light in the darkness. Without you I would be lost” he said, squeezing Beta’s hand in his and seeing the blush reaching on Beta’s cheeks.  
“Chanyeol, I made a lot of mistakes all the way through here. Even when I thought everything would be lost, you came for me. With your burning love, you purified my soul, making me have faith in us and in me once again. My life is yours, now and forever” he whispered back and Chanyeol felt overjoyed.  
He couldn’t believe it.  
It was too perfect to be true.  
“Please, best man with the rings” Kyungsoo said making a gesture to Sehun and Jondae who brought the rings.  
Chanyeol instructed them thoughtfully about what they had to do.  
“Park Chanyeol, do you want to take Byun Baekhyun as your groom and honor him through richness and poverty, healthiness and malady until death does you apart?” he asked to Chanyeol who took the ring Sehun was giving him and put it on Beta’s ring finger.  
“I do” he replied, smiling toward Beta who smiled back, so cute and yet fascinating that took Chanyeol’s breath away.  
“Byun Baekhyun, do you want to take Park Chanyeol as your groom and honor him through richness and poverty, healthiness and malady until death does you apart?” Kyungsoo repeated and Beta took the ring that Jondae was giving him, putting it on Chanyeol’s ring finger.  
His hands were shaking and squeezed Chanyeol’s even after he put the ring.  
“I do” he whispered, squeezing again Chanyeol’s hands.  
“Perfect, so before kissing, please as per Park Family’s tradition, you drink together from each other glass” he said pouring liquor in both glasses and giving one to each of them.  
Chanyeol smiled toward Beta.  
“Until the end” Beta whispered crossing his arm with Chanyeol.  
“Until the end” he concluded, smiling again and drinking from his glass in the same moment as Beta.  
“Now you can kiss” Kyungsoo concluded and Chanyeol caressed gently Beta’s cheek before leaning in and kissing him slowly, feeling him hum softly.  
“You are a signature away to enter my family permanently. Are you sure you don’t have any afterthought?” Chanyeol whispered him, after he detached from the kiss, staying a breath away from his lips, stare lost in Beta’s.  
“I’ll put hundreds of signatures if it would be to stay with you even one more day, Chanyeol” he breathed before pulling him in by the necktie and kiss him again.  
There was applauses and cheers and it took a while before they could actually sign.  
“So from today you will be Park Byun Baekhyun?” Jondae asked Beta during the buffet and making him chuckled.  
“It seems so. Everyone still call me Beta, though, so I don’t think it will change so much, if not for legal matters” he noted and Chanyeol nodded shortly.  
“Even though I’d like to abolish that codename of yours. Baekhyun is so much better and you don’t need to hide behind a nickname anymore” he commented, voice soft and deep, and Beta sighed shortly.  
“It will take time, but I’d like it too, if I have to be honest” he pointed out, smiling shortly.  
Chanyeol’s hand was immediately on his back, soothingly caressing him.  
“We have a whole life before us, Baekhyun” he concluded hugging him softly and letting Beta’s head rest on his shoulder.  
“Yeah, until the end” he concluded standing on his tips and kissing Chanyeol, forgetting about the world outside them.  
  
  
  
  



End file.
